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FAQ
Learn more about our camp!
Yes! Horton Center is a place where everyone is welcome! Horton Center is committed to being a place where everyone feels welcome to be their authentic selves. We strive to be an Anti-Racist and Open and Affirming camp to better welcome everyone. We are intentional about building safe community for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+ folks, and for others who have historically been marginalized by our society.
We welcome folks of all faith backgrounds as well as those who do not come from a faith background to come to Horton Center for a chance to explore their beliefs and what matters to them. Horton Center is the Outdoor Ministries site of the United Church of Christ in New Hampshire. The UCC is a welcoming, inclusive and justice-oriented denomination of progressive Christianity. As a faith community, the UCC is committed to listening to how God is still speaking. Open-minded faith-based discussions and engaging activities for all ages and stages are part of the daily program at camp.
We are passionate about the power of camp and are committed to ensuring that Horton Center is accessible for everyone, no matter their family’s financial situation. Horton Center has a voluntary three-tier fee program.
Tier 1, the Whole Cost Tier, most closely reflects the true costs of providing our camp experience, including facility and equipment maintenance, program development, and insurance. It addresses increasing costs for food, fuel, and staff.
Tier 2, the Direct Cost Tier, is a somewhat subsidized rate that covers direct costs of camp for a camper: programming, food and summer staff.
Tier 3, the Subsidized Tier, is our historically subsidized range and does not reflect all costs of operating our summer camp programs and site. The balance of the fee is covered by general support donations to Horton Center, and other groups and individuals who pay higher rates throughout the year. Please choose the tier that is most suitable for your family.
Yes, for those families that cannot afford Tier 1 additional financial assistance is available. There are several places where funds are available to help get campers to Horton Center. We encourage you to reach out to your local UCC church to see if they have any financial assistance available. Scholarships are also available through Horton Center. Applications are available online at www.hortoncenter.org or by contacting Tivvi at TPare@nhcucc.org , 603-545-9660. We at Horton Center don’t want any child or youth to miss coming to camp due to financial need, so please ask for an application if you need it.
The quickest and easiest way is on our website: www.hortoncenter.org. Just click “Register” and follow the prompts. A $100 deposit is required to secure your registration. A few weeks before your session, you and your child will receive an emailed letter from your dean (deans are volunteer program leaders) and the camp directors with details about your session.
Please contact Cindy Bradley at 603-270-9189 for assistance with the registration process
Health forms are required for everyone who participates in a Horton Center program, on-site or off. For youth, there are two mandatory health forms: Health Form #1 completed by a parent/guardian and Health Form #2 completed and signed by a doctor within one year of the camp’s start date. You can find both health forms on our website at www.hortoncenter.org. For adults, there is one mandatory health form which can be completed by the adult camper.
Every camper is different; that’s what makes Horton Center so awesome! For us to help your child have the best experience possible, the Directors and your dean need to be aware in advance of any physical, emotional, or behavioral needs a child may have. While we are not equipped to handle every camper, we will do our best to offer special support to as many children as we can. Please contact Executive Director Tivvi Pare TPare@nhcucc.org, 603-545-9660 before registration. All information shared with camp staff will be kept confidential. When registering, please include all specific, relevant information.
Each day and session is a little different at Horton Center. Most sessions follow a basic flow of wake up and breakfast, followed by contributions (chores) and morning chapel. Next comes Faith Discovery time with games and challenges. Then we all eat lunch and take a break afterwards called “siesta”. The afternoon is filled with two activity blocks, where campers choose from possibilities such as arts and crafts, hiking, caving, rock climbing, archery, swimming, silly and fun games, music, and more! Dinner is served, followed by evening chapel and an evening program. We end our day by singing together around the Peace Pole. Then it’s off to cabins for stories and sleep! Horton Center promotes the unplugged, in-person & present, community outdoor ministry experience.
One of Horton Center’s core purposes is to build community. For this reason, we arrange cabins in a way so that campers from different towns all across New Hampshire and beyond will get to know one another. We also recognize coming to camp for the first time can be full of uncertainty. Therefore, first time campers can request to be in the same cabin as one and only one friend on the registration form. The friend you request must also request you.
Check-in for week-long camps is typically on Sunday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. unless you are notified differently in a dean’s/director’s letter. Pickup is typically on Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. from the main dining lodge. Transportation to and from Horton Center is the responsibility of the parents/guardians.
We want campers to have a fun, safe, meaningful week at Horton Center. Certain behaviors deemed inappropriate (including but not limited to: fighting, bullying, hitting, stealing, destruction of or intrusion into another’s property, threatening another, refusal to eat, sexual activity, or possession or use of a alcohol, illegal or misused drugs, or weapons) can result in the camper being sent home.