Mini Camp Carnival

By Amanda Bailey & Kristin Marie Bivens Ozark, IL According to the American Camp Association, there are approximately 11 million campers who attend day and overnight summer camps each year. Recently, Camp Ondessonk expanded their capacity and in the process, the ability to host more of a certain age group of those 11 million campers:

Camp Ondessonk Teen Adventure Camps

A significant growth in Teen Adventure Program interest last summer has resulted in the addition of four new Adventure Camps: Mountain Biking Adventure– Teenage Campers will spend the first several days at camp learning riding techniques, bike repair, and practicing on our extensive trail system. River Adventure– Teen Campers will experience a unique off-site canoeing opportunity as

Camp Ondessonk- Lodge Update

Lodge Updates- by Mitch Cunningham Coming out of a fantastic summer, The Lodges of Ondessonk and Tekakwitha observed one of the largest Fall Lodge Reunions in recent years. Many campers, staff, volunteers, and friends of the Lodges spent their weekend reconnecting with their friends and sharing their love of Ondessonk. Fall Lodge Reunion allowed for

“The Motivation of Ondessonk”- An Interview with John Foppe

“The Motivation of Ondessonk”- An Interview with John Foppe  by Tony Vrooman John Foppe wears a lot of hats these days:  Motivational Speaker, Author, Executive Coach, Strategic Planning Facilitation Expert, Executive  Director of St Vincent De Paul and not to mention Father and Husband.  I recently had the opportunity to interview John;  a former Ondessonk

Camp Ondessonk Outdoor Education

The spring season is upon us and we at camp are preparing for a very busy Outdoor Education Season.  Our winter was spent visiting thousands of students, spreading the good word of camp.  We met some great people along the way and we are extremely grateful for the schools, religion programs, and organizations that invited

Camp Ondessonk Mountain Biking Adventure

Camp Ondessonk Mountain Biking Adventure Video on Fox 2 News Camp Ondessonk and the Bike Surgeon featured on Fox 2 News with Tim Ezell.  The Mountain Biking Adventure program is designed for teenagers 12-16 year old and will be held June 23-29 at Camp Ondessonk.

St Noel Retreat & Conference Center Renovation

St. Noel Retreat & Conference Center is open all year and its lower level dining room/meeting space and roof  has recently been renovated.  Now the Camp Ondessonk team has embarked on a new mission, renovating the guest rooms.  The rooms are now being remodeled with new flooring, lighting fixtures, bathroom vanities and a fresh coat of paint. The

Summer Youth Camp Serves Children From All Around The World

Camp Ondessonk a residential youth summer camp located in Ozark Illinois serves children and teenagers from all around the world.  With traditional programming including hiking, archery, back-packing, swimming, rock-climbing, mountain biking, and horseback riding legacy campers continue to come back year after year. Within the United States Ondessonk has a strong base of camp families who have been sending

Camp Ondessonk- Scholarships for Summer Camp

In an effort to make Camp Ondessonk accessible to children of diverse economic means, three scholarship opportunities are available for Summer Camp.  General and St. Kateri scholarship recipients receive partial tuition coverage.  Monsignor Fournie Scholarship recipients receive full tuition coverage.  Registration details and procedures are found on the application form linked to each scholarship. General

Children’s Summer Camp

Camp Ondessonk is a children’s summer camp located in Ozark Illinois.  Since 1959 we have served children from both the United States and International campers.  We pride ourselves in being accredited by the American Camp Association, which means we meet or exceed over 300 standards in safety and operating procedures. During the summers of 2008 and 2009