About Sunrise Ranch

Sunrise Ranch is an event center, farm, and community of about 85 people that was founded in 1945. The people who live here are interested in living consciously—in harmony with the land, animals and people in a way that is based in mutual respect and appreciation. Groups from all over the world come here year-round to have retreats with their church groups, family, choir, executive board, or performance group. At our farm, we raise grassfed beef, and have internship programs where participants come to work in our garden while learning about permaculture.

Our kid-friendly facilities include:

Swimming pool
Baseball field and basketball court
Permaculture Orchard
Several indoor meeting rooms
Dining Room providing nutritious, yummy meals

2013 Dates

Day Camp July 29 – Aug. 2
Overnight Camp August 5 – 9

2012 Sunrise Camp Campers and Counselors

Camp Sunrise gives children ages 8-17 the opportunity to experience their joy, creativity and unique gifts in a positive, safe and nourishing environment.

Come to the Very Vivacious Variety Show! A Fundraiser for Camp Sunrise. 2013 date to be announced.

Campers connect with each other and with the natural world around them through fun activities:

Overnight camping in tents
Hiking in the foothills of the Rockies
Gardening, farming and permaculture
Performing arts; culminating in a talent show
Team-building games and sports
Swimming and water play
Arts and crafts
Campfire
Stargazing
Annual field trip

Registration and Application

Dates, Times, and Fees

Overnight Camp August 5-9, 2013

For ages 8-13. Check in is from 9-10am on Monday, the first day of camp. Camp ends with a pool party from 1-3pm where all families are invited. Children need to be picked up by 3pm on Friday.
$650 for 5 days/4 nights. Includes all meals and materials.

Click here to register for the Overnight Camp.
$100 deposit required to secure your spot for the entire week. Please call 877-786-0078 or 970-679-4200 to make a deposit or partial payment.

Day Camp July 29 – August 2, 2013

For ages 4-7.
Runs from 9am – 3pm. Includes sack lunch.
$100/day or $400 for the week.

To register for the day camp, call 970-679-4200 or click here.
$50 deposit required to secure your spot for the entire week. For 1 day only, full tuition is due at the time of registration. Please call 877-786-0078 or 970-679-4200 to make a deposit or partial payment.

Counselor-in-Training Program:

Students ages 14 – 16 have an opportunity to participate in camp, while offering their leadership abilities and learning what it takes to be a camp counselor. They will get all the fun experiences of being a camper, with additional opportunities for developing qualities of leadership. There will also be some specific activities just for Counselors-in-Training.

$650 for 5 days/4 nights. Includes all meals and materials.

Click here to register to be a Counselor-in-Training for the Overnight Camp.
$100 deposit required to secure your spot for the entire week. Please call 877-786-0078 or 970-679-4200 to make a deposit or partial payment.

Jr. Counselors:

17 year-old students train to become Camp Counselors. A new Jr. Counselor will participate for four weeks to immerse themselves in community life while playing an essential role in Camp Sunrise. They have a similar role as Counselors, with less responsibility, and go through the same training. Please email stephanie@sunriseranch.org or call (970)679-4318 for more information and to apply for a Jr. Counselor position.

Limited scholarships and partial scholarships are available for all of the camps.
To apply for a scholarship, please contact Stephanie Powers:
Phone: (970) 679-4318
E-mail: stephanie@sunriseranch.org
Fax: (970) 679-4248

Questions

Are you a state licensed camp?

Yes! In 2010 we were approved by the State of Colorado as a summer camp, and we renew our license every year. Legal requirements include background checks on all of our staff.

Why is this 5-day camp so affordable?

We believe that every child should have access to programs that help them grow into creative, caring and wise adults. We choose to offer this program at cost as a way of offering back to our local community. Additional donations to Sunrise Ranch, a nonprofit, are gratefully accepted. We do our own fundraising to keep the costs down and we encourage the children to participate in our fundraising events.

I’ve never been to Sunrise Ranch. Can I visit and see what you are about?

You are very welcome to come visit with or without your child before the camp to get a feel for the place. We know that it takes a lot to entrust your child to us for 5 days, and are very happy to give you a tour and show you some of the places where we’ll be having fun. Or come to our free farm tour and fundraiser on June 3rd!

Is this a religious Camp?

No. This Camp is open to children from any racial, ethnic or religious background, and we encourage diversity. We do have a strong spiritual premise, which teaches/models the importance of thankfulness, generosity and love.

Support Camp Sunrise

Kids On the Land (KOL) Program

Delivers the Answers What are spiders good for, other than scaring your little sister? How do butterflies contribute to a stable environment? What do cows and windmills have in common? Since its inception in 2003, the Kids on the Land program has been explaining these kinds of concepts and sparking the imaginations of young children. In fact, Holistic Management International has educated, inspired, and engaged over 2,200 K-6 students in Texas. While the program is place-based, and was originally designed for the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, Sunrise Ranch has adapted the program to for our Colorado environment, and runs under the direction of the Integrated Holistic Agriculture (IHA) program. Students from each grade learn different aspects of life on the land and how that land in turn sustains life. The educational experiences accommodate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles and participating students can come from local schools, churches, or other clubs and organizations.

The “Outdoor Education”

Connection Studies have documented that outdoor hands-on learning experiences work. Teaching science and agriculture through curiosity and inquiry develops student understanding of the world around them. It puts them in direct contact with the world, providing students with a sense of place and their connection to it.

Sunrise Ranch is Introducing the KOL Program Because “Young” Is a Great Age to Learn

HMI’s slogan, “healthy land, sustainable future,” reflects Sunrise Ranch’s philosophy of educating land stewards about smart land use, while assisting them to enhance the land’s natural productivity. Kids on the Land reflects Sunrise Ranch’s belief that education should start at a young age with a healthy respect for nature. That’s why Sunrise Ranch is introducing the KOL program, and making it available to our Northern Colorado community.

What Kind of Things do Kids Learn?

Kindergarten: “People, Plants, Animals” Begin to understand that people, plants, and animals are part of the whole

First Grade: “Spectacular Spiders” Grasp the concept that spiders are an important part of our community of species

Second Grade: “Beautiful Butterflies” Understand that a diversity of species leads to a stable environment

Third Grade: “How Does the Wind Help Us?” Learn why windmills are tools to help the rancher and his livestock restore grassland

Fourth Grade: “PSI: Plant Scene Identification” Understand that animal impact helps create biodiversity

Fifth Grade: “Water Here, Water Tomorrow” Discover how land management helps improve the water cycle

Sixth Grade: “Healthy Soil Is Covered Soil” Learn the connection between healthy soil, healthy people and a sustainable future

Field Trips/Farm Tours To The Farm At Sunrise Ranch

Beginning April 1, Sunrise Ranch and IHA will be scheduling field trips on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am-1pm for field trips to the ranch. We offer these services free of charge, however, suggested donation is $2/person. Please email Katie Miller at Katie@SunriseRanch.org or call the farm office at 970-679-4330 to schedule a field trip/farm tour.

Meet The Staff

Camp Director- Stephanie Powers

Stephanie Powers has over 20 years of experience working with children, including serving as Program Coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii and leading the Childcare Program at Sunrise Ranch. She has completed her Montessori teacher certification and currently coordinates Youth Programs at the Ranch including Camp Sunrise and Farm to Fork Field Trips. This will be her fifth year as Director of Camp Sunrise.

Program Coordinator- Ford North

The newest addition to our team this summer – please welcome Ford North from Modern Knights to our staff. Ford has over 20 years’ experience as a camp counselor and working with youth of all ages. He started at the age of eighteen at boarding camps in New England. Over the years, he has instructed various activities like caving, rock climbing, mountain biking, crafts, math, wilderness survival and more. In Colorado, he started his own company called Modern Knights where he leads fantastic adventures so your child can be the hero of their own story. He also teachings traditional and modern martial arts.

Camp Counselor – Patrick Padden

Patrick Padden is a banjo pickin’, juggling, unicyclist with international experience coordinating foreign-language programs for children. He has “edutained” in South Africa, Japan and America for the past four years. He was also a camp counselor at Camp Jones Gulch in La Honda, California. He is a Certified Permaculture Educator, teaches the Permaculture Design Course, runs permaculture internship programs and co-manages the Garden at Sunrise Ranch.

Listen to part I of his 2010 interview on KRFC:

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