Frequently Asked questions
GENERAL Questions
Where is Master Builder Camp (MBC) located?
Our program is located at 3536 NW 8th Ave Gainesville, FL 32605. This property is owned by a private school and we rent the space from them for our program times. We do not have a year-round office there, so dropping by during non-summer hours is not an option. Please call us if you want to schedule a time to meet outside of camp program hours.
Do you offer extended care services?
Yes! Master Builder Camp provides early drop off from 7:45a-8:45a at a rate of $35/week or $10/day and late pick up options from 3pm-5:15pm at a rate of $75/week or $20/day for our campers. Campers will get extra free building time with our various play building materials (LEGO/BIG BLUE BLOCKS/KEVA/etc) as well as more structured projects, extra playground time, and more activities in PM Care. Extended care can be registered before hand or added on day-of by contacting the Camp Director. Any extended care that is added on day-of will be charged to your credit card on your account at the end of the week. This extended care program is run by MBC staff on MBC property.
Is Master Builder Camp religiously affiliated?
No. The space that we rent is owned by a religiously affiliated school, however our camp has no affiliation with them nor any other religious entity.
Can a parent stay with a child if needed?
Absolutely, we know that (especially for some of our younger campers) starting a new program can be stressful, and mom or dad may want to stick around for a bit to help settle their kiddo in. No problem! We encourage parents to stay as long as they feel they need until their child is ready for them to go. Just let us know if you feel this may be the case for your child, and we will do all that we can to help them feel comfortable.
What are the age groups and staff ratios at MBC?
Master Builders for ages 5-13, with 5 year olds must have attended Kindergarten or are younger siblings of an older sibling already attending. We are staffed at 1 staff/8 campers or less depending on the activity. They are primarily grouped by age, but also keeping in mind the developmental level each child connects best to peers. We do ask parents to include extra information on their child's registration to help us understand them and what they need to feel happy and successful at camp, as well as list any known friends who are coming to camp that they would like to be grouped with. Please know that we are not able to honor all requests for groupings as we are keeping in mind what is best for the entire group so we can build community with our camper teams.
What is the experience of your staff?
Our staff are a mix of college students and professionals in the fields of teaching, art, engineering, woodworking, humanities, and social sciences; and are chosen based not just on their skills both as educators and craftsmen in our maker space, but primarily on their heart for kids and passion for the work of creating community with kids. All staff are at least 19 years old (most falling between 22-28), level 2 background checked, and have received extensive (over 80 hours pre-camp training, including First-Aid and CPR) and ongoing training (at least 20 more hours through the summer) with Master Builder Camp.
REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
How do I sign up?
You can register online by choosing the weeks/classes you want from our summer camps page. You will add them to your cart and when you go to checkout, our registration program "CONNECT By Care" will walk you through our forms and create an account for you. You will choose your extended care options in that checkout process. If you want to add extended care after registration, you will need to email us at masterbuildercamp@gmail.com. If you already have a CONNECT account, you can log back in at any time to add new sessions or edit your child's information.
Do you offer discounts for sibling registrations or for signing up for multiple weeks?
We have a Sibling Discount of $10/week off of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ect siblings' registration fee, and a $10 discount for signing up for multiple camp weeks. These discounts automatically apply, no code needed.
Do you have Half Day options?
No, we are no longer able to accommodate half day options, as it is not conducive to building community with our teams of little builders and the half day kiddos feel left behind because they missed half of the experience.
Do you have Daily Drop In Options?
We have limited drop in spots available most days for $75/day, and they will get paired up with a camper buddy to help them integrate in and given options of working on a personal project or joining the team build.
Do you offer scholarships or income-based discounts?
We do not at this point. It is a goal of ours for the near future. If you are interested in partnering with us to offer scholarships for our campers, please contact us!
Do you accept payments?
Yes. At checkout, you will be given the option to pay in full or pay with a deposit and monthly payments. You can manage this or make extra payments in between, if desired, by logging into your account.
What is your refund policy?
4 weeks prior to camp: 100% refund minus a $25 cancelation fee per week.
2-4 weeks prior to camp: 50% refund.
Less than 2 weeks prior to camp: No refund, but 50% of your fee can be turned into a credit on your account for a future camp (this includes cancelations due to sickness)
Sick Credit is a 50% credit on your MBC account, and only apply to full weeks missed due to illness and require a doctors note and request for the credit in writing via email to recieve.
Cancelations after camp has started do not receive a credit or refund and there are no prorated credits/refunds/exchanges available for individual days missed.
All cancelation requests need to be emailed to us at masterbuildercamp@gmail.com
School Break Camps / SUMMER CAMP Questions
What is a typical daily schedule?
7:45a- Early Drop Off begins with Free Play Options
8:45-9:15a- Campers arrive & settle in & have lots of free play options available
9:15a- Morning Warm Ups / group game / crew team building fun
10:00a- Morning Snack Time
10:15 - Big Project of the Week
11:30a- Lunch & Outside Play
12:30p -Awesome Possum Shout Outs and Quiet Activity Time
1:30 - Back to Big Project or Free Choice Activities
2:30p - Wrap up of day in crews & Camp Fires
2:45 - Afternoon Snack Time
3:00p - Camper Pick up
Extended Day Schedule
7:45a-8:45a AM Extended Day: Free Build Time
3:15p-5:15p PM Extended Day: Extra Projects, Free Build, Outside play, and Games
How early can I drop my camper off in the morning?
Campers who have not paid for Early Drop Off service can be dropped off in the Main MBC Camp Room between 8:45am-9:15am, but no earlier. If you need to drop off earlier than 8:45a, you can add our early drop of option for $30/week.
How are the camper groups broken up?
During the structured activity time, campers will be divided into teams ranging from 15-20 kids based on their ages/skill level/experience with MBC. This allows us to tailor the challenges and instruction to their developmental abilities, and helps them meet and bond with other kids their age. Sometimes, campers are often further grouped into Builder Teams of 2-4 (depending on the project) to collaborate and work together on the more complex projects and challenges. Campers do have times throughout the day where they get to build on their own as well as free play as a whole group together.
If my child is attending camp with a friend, can they request to be grouped together?
You are welcome to send us requests, and we try our best to match up kids in the best groups for them to be successful at camp, sometimes that includes friends they came with and sometimes it does not.
Are lunch/snacks provided?
Yes! You can order a lunch from MBC. Each day will be a different food ordered from local services (PDQ, PUBLIX, DOMINOES, ETC). You will be emailed prior to your camper's week at MBC to place your food order for the week. Snacks can be purchased at camp at any time by campers and costs will be charged to the credit card used for their registration. Campers can also need to bring their own lunch and snacks with them each day if preferred. Just know there is no access to refrigeration or a microwave for their food. Campers have 2-3 designated snack times that they can have a snack from their food brought from home or purchase one from camp. We do sometimes provide a complementary popcorn and give out popsicles on water day, so please include all dietary restrictions on your child's registration/consent form. We can not accommodate for allergies in the lunch order. If your child has specific dietary needs, please send a packed lunch and snacks for their day
Can campers bring home what they built?
Not typically. We try our best to use at least 50% reusable materials, so that MBC can support the efforts to reduce waste and emissions for the good of our planet. We also do many of our build projects as team builds which couldn't be taken home by just one camper. Our staff do take lots of pictures with our camp cameras and we send out a link to a dropbox folder at the end of the summer to view and enjoy all the pics from your child's time at camp.
Do campers stay indoors or are parts of the day done outside?
We use multiple large air-conditioned rooms for parts of our camp day, and, weather permitting, head outdoors to our beautiful tree covered playground for lunch and free time each day from 11:30-12:30p. Certain activities will also be done outdoors under the covered walkways. We also have an outdoor water day event on Wednesday afternoons during our summer camp program.
Are there unstructured activity times?
Yes, we have found that putting unstructured time at different points in the day and week help our campers get the most out of the structured activities and projects we have plans. They always get at least 1 hour of free play outside each day, as well as free play times with our building materials at the beginning and end of the scheduled day.
Check out our Family Handbook (located in right hand corner of webpage) for more information about our camp.
FOR ALL OTHER QUESTIONS: PLEASE EMAIL: MASTERBUILDERCAMP@GMAIL.COM
