What is a Learner Endeavor?

Learner Endeavors are a huge success at Prisma and are now in their second year for the 25/26 school year. In partnership with Prisma Parent Community - we aim to give our Prisma learners ongoing opportunities for in-person connection several times throughout the year. We aim to rotate these activities throughout the continental USA to make local travel possible for as many learners as possible and will continue to do so in the future. We also aim to keep these experiences as affordable as possible. Unlike family meetups, these endeavor weeks are designed to allow learners to be with their peers in-person without the need for their parents to be in attendance while they are at camp. Call it a break for us parents, call it growth for the kids - a win win :)

As Endeavors evolve, our hope is to offer opportunities across different interest areas for unique in-person, in-depth learning opportunities as well as the chance to just accelerate joy and connection amongst our Prisma community.

Who will be leading this Endeavor?

Endeavors are led by our Prisma Team and supported with parent chaperones through the Prisma Parent Community. Parent Chaperones are our “cabin chaperones” and Prisma staff will be running our activities and school portions of camp during the day and evenings. Team work makes the dream work - and we are so lucky to have such a great group of dedicated people helping to make Endeavors happen for Prisma learners!

At this Endeavor, camp leadership includes Coach Cindy, Kristen Shroff (Prisma CEO), Leena Williams (Head of HS), Coach Gwyn, Coach Angie, Coach Lauren, Coach Tyler and Coach Todd. Coach James will not be able to make this Endeavor and we will miss him this go round! However, we are so proud of the great support of all of our Prisma team helping to make things happen for our kids!

Activities at the Florida Endeavor will be run by the Prisma team - including day time activities. Any water related activities in the pool or lake will have an externally provided (not Prisma staff) certified lifeguard on duty when waterfront or pool is open for sessions.

What is “Orange Springs Retreat Center”?

Orange Spring Retreat Center is a 100-acre camp on the edge of Florida’s Ocala National Forest. This location will be in use only by our Prisma Endeavors group while we are on site and we will have access to swimming, a pool, sport courts, tennis courts and more! We wanted to pick a location in a warm state that “had it all” with experienced staff and food offerings.

Orange Springs Retreat Center is located approximately 90 minutes from Jacksonville, 30 minutes from Gainesville and 1hr, 45 min from Orlando.

What is the cost?

The cost for Feb 1-6, 2026 (6 days and 5 nights) is $695. This cost includes lodging, meals, and all activities for one learner. Register here. Camp drop-off is at 5pm on Sunday, Feb 1. Pickup is at noon on Friday, Feb 6.

Will our kids get their school work done while at camp?

Mostly :) With the goal of the school week being both productive and inspiring, learners will attend in-person versions of workshops at the Lower and Middle School level. They will NOT participate in their normal cohort calls or math workshops during the week at the MS/LS level. We do expect learners to come into the week caught up or ahead of their work - and expect this will be a great motivator for them all.

At the High School level, learners will not be expected to attend calls and will have approximately 1.5 hours per day to keep up on independent work. That being said, it is a good idea to get ahead on work prior to attending as this time will likely not be suffusive to keep up / get ahead on work while you are at camp.

What is the anticipated daily schedule?

Our days will roughly look like an early morning activity before or after breakfast, school hub during day with lunch, afternoon activities, dinner and then a shared group evening activity like karaoke, campfires, dance parties or trivia, etc. We anticipate that activities during the day will be grouped by age and likely cohort to some extent to accommodate different schedules between HS / MS groups. Lights out at a reasonable time and do it all over again the next day :)

Learners will also have free time in the afternoons from approximately 3:30-5:30pm where they can rest, swim, or participate in optional activities. This is intended to help give kids that need some downtime - the opportunity to indulge in a little quiet. Not your thing, go jump in the pool or catch a game of soccer or capture the flag! :)

Do you need chaperones?

At this time we do not need chaperones for this Endeavor. However, we are always looking to grow a team of chaperones that are interested in serving Prisma kids in this fun, big give way! Feel free to submit an application at any time to be considered for future Endeavors. If your learner is not comfortable attending without you, this Endeavor is likely not the best place to start. Feel free to reach out to our team with more questions.

What is the food like? What about food allergies?

Orange Springs has stated that its’ kitchen staff can work with food accommodations - however, if your learner has severe life-threatening allergies - we suggest you talk to our team in advance to see if your learner’s needs can be met on an individual level. We do not assume the facilities we work with are nut-free and often accommodations are limited to gluten, dairy and providing vegetarian options.

What kinds of medical care will be available?

Basic first aid and medicine management services will be provided by a parent volunteer who has done this for us for 3 other Endeavors. We can provide basic medication storage/administration and allergy concerns. We will help manage this with pre-registration required forms. After registration we will collect and review medical forms for each learner, and we will happily meet with parents and families to discuss individual medical concerns on an as-needed basis. All care that is outside the scope of basic first aid (think bandaids and basic parent approved meds in advance like tylenol or pepto bismo) will require a parent call and shared decision-making process for next steps for medical care of camper.

What is your policy on phones and computers at camp?

We can’t wait to be at camp and disconnected as much as possible. Phones will not be allowed to be used at camp - however every child attending will have access to call home from their cabin chaperone’s phone and parents will be able to check in with that chaperone so that you know they are succeeding. Kids will not have access to their computers during school day. Our goal is to keep kids safe, present and happy. You can read our phone policy in our learner and parent expectations below.

Can my child fly alone to camp?

Unfortunately, we do not offer any unaccompanied minor travel services or airport pickups at this Endeavor. Parents are responsible for getting their learners to camp. Parents have and will continue to support each other in this - so buddying up is encouraged in making things work!

Will my child get to room with their friends?

Each cabin is anticipated to be grouped by age and sex and will not be more than 3 years apart in age. We want kids to succeed and therefore will make every effort to try to make sure that every child has at least ONE friend in their cabin with them so that they feel supported by a peer in addition to their chaperones. We want everyone to succeed and we want to have an inclusive cabin culture for all.

At the Florida Endeavor - the bunk rooms are large (approximately 15 learners) so we anticipate this location being very easy for everyone to know kids in their cabin. If your child is new to Prisma or does not have a close friend coming to camp - our goal is to make sure that every cabin is a team that is supportive of all in their cabin! :)

Please note, high school cabins do NOT have a chaperone in them - but instead adjacent to them or between their cabins.

When can we officially sign up?

Registration is now open. A non-refundable 50% deposit is due within a week of registering. We will circle back with how to make your final payment on or before January 10th, 2025. Because we need to pay for kids in advance, no refunds can be given if your child is not able to attend.

When will payment be due?

By registering your child for camp - you agree to pay 50% of the amount due of $695 for your child to attend camp at time of registration with the remainder due on or before January 10th, 2025. No exceptions can be made if your schedule changes and you are not able to attend camp.

Are there any meetings prior to camp for parents?

There will be a pre-camp mandatory meeting for parents and campers on January 21st at 7pm EST. More details and invites to follow for those registered.

How many kids can sign up?

At this time we can support up to approximately 75 campers for this session. If you can’t make this trip - don’t worry there are many more to come and you should not feel as though you have to make this work! This is one of many opportunities that kids can take advantage of to meet their Prisma peers in person and virtually.

I have more questions - who can I talk to?

Please shoot us an email at endeavors@joinprisma.org on additional questions, etc. regarding camp logistics, schedules, etc. If you have specific medical questions or concerns about your camper’s individual needs and whether camp will be a good fit this fall - please reach out to Jenna Walker at jenna@joinprisma.org and she will help connect you to the best Prisma staff member to help with questions.