Serving the Lincoln Square, Andersonville, and Albany Park neighborhoods of Chicago, JCC Apachi Northside calls Northside College Preparatory High School its summer home. With nature gardens, acres of outdoor green space and expansive indoor spaces, it’s an ideal place for children to experience everything from performing arts to sports.
Activities
Our incredible specialty program encourages campers to explore and try a little bit everything. Artists-in-residence visit weekly to expose campers to exciting experiences and teach new skills through magic, juggling, percussion, dance and other activities. Everyone comes together for Shabbat celebrations, cookouts, theme days, field trips, parent nights, as well as our own fantastic carnival and Olympic themed Maccabi games. And we never forget the sports, arts and crafts, swimming, field trips and other special activities that make camp so Apachi.
Swim Program
Our aquatics staff is supervised by Northside Aquatics Swim Club. They teach swimming in a safe, confidence-building environment. Safety is our priority and all members of our aquatics staff are certified lifeguards with CPR training.
Testing, placement, progress reports
Campers are tested at the beginning of summer and placed in an appropriate swim level based on their skills. They pass through levels based on both formal and informal testing. Progress reports are sent home during the summer with a summary of skills your child is working on and those already mastered.
Our aquatics director
Carlos Ceja is currently the Head Coach of Northside Aquatics Club. He holds a B.S. in Kinesiology and majored in Movement Science at University of Illinois-Chicago. Carlos coached swimmers, divers and water polo players that went on to compete at the collegiate level. In May of 2011, he was inducted into Roosevelt High School Sport’s Hall of Fame. Carlos is certified in American Sports Education, as a Water-Safety Instructor, for Safety Training of Swim Coaches and Lifeguard, First Aid, CPR and AED Essentials. He is also a member of a number of swim associations including being a Level 3 Coach and life member of the American Swimming Coaches Association.
Transportation, Friends, Food, Wellness
Drop-Off
Our convenient carpool line helps your camper get to their group easily and speed you on your way. Just enter the lot towards the south end of the building and follow the path around to the drop off areas in front of the building. A staff member will come to your car rain or shine to help your child out of their seat. You’ll get to see your camper with a smiling counselor by their side and you never even have to get out of your car. At pick up time, just use the carpool line again. We will bring your child to you, buckle them in, and you will be on your way.
Optional round trip bus
Kids living within our designated boundaries may be transported both ways by bus for an additional fee. Pick-up and drop-off spots are a combination of door-to-door, corner and cluster stops; they are based on safety, efficiency and enrollment. Buses are driven by licensed, professional drivers, and staffed by JCC bus counselors who make sure campers stay buckled in their seats at all times. Campers living outside JCC Apachi Northside boundaries are responsible for their own transportation to and from camp.
Friendship requests
Campers can submit friendship requests in the spring and we will do our best to accommodate mutual requests as long as campers are the same gender and entering the same grade.
Food
We provide pizza lunch on Wednesdays and a hotdog cookout on Fridays as well as a daily snack. For the remainder of the week, please send along a sack lunch that we’ll refrigerate.
Food allergies
Safety and inclusion are top priorities at JCC Chicago Day Camps. Our camps are committed to being allergy-safe. While our camps are not allergen-free, we strive to make our camp environments as safe as possible for children with food allergies using a customized approach and working closely with each family to develop an action plan for the child. More information can be found in JCC Chicago’s Day Camping Food Allergy Policy.
Immunizations & Health Forms
To participate in camp, campers must have a completed health form signed by a physician on file. We also require documentation of immunizations. More information can be found in JCC Chicago’s Immunization Policy for Programs Requiring Completed Health Forms.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know that you have all sorts of questions about camp. Some of them we have answered for you already!
