Julia Knight
Since the inception of our day camps, we’ve had the pleasure of seeing our programs and community grow in breadth and depth. Every season is full of camp magic, laughter, bracelet-making, outdoor adventure, and more. Historically, camp has also had an inevitably stressful registration day. In response to feedback provided by camp families, and in an attempt to make the registration process smooth for campers and staff alike, we’ll continue to use a lottery system for registration for Seattle Day Camp offerings in 2025.
The Lottery System
Our ultimate goal in using a lottery is to create a system that is family-friendly, equitable, easy-to-execute, and meets the needs of returning families. All campers, new and returning, are invited to enroll through our lottery system this January. Families planning on using scholarships are encouraged to apply for a scholarship in late December or early January in advance of entering the lottery.
Campers can use the lottery to enroll in one week of camp. Individual campers are not limited to one week of enrollment for the whole summer, but will be capped at one week through the lottery process. Please remember that entering the lottery does not guarantee a camper a spot in summer camp.
How it will work
- Individual lottery applications will be available on the Seattle Summer Camp page for the first two weeks of January (Jan 2-16, 2025). Each camper may enter the lottery once, ranking each camp week in the application to indicate their most desired week to attend.
- The lottery closes at 5pm on January 16.
- Campers will be notified between January 21-22 via email of the registering parent if they have been selected. Campers have until January 26 to register for their offered week of camp.
- All remaining camp spots will open for registration on January 27.
- The lottery is for Seattle Day Camp registration only.
- Lodge camps will open for enrollment on January 28.
Rules of the system
- The lottery is only for Seattle Day Camp. All overnight camps and camps in different locations will open for enrollment separately.
- Campers must have a profile on The Mountaineers website to be registered. Please ensure your camper’s Youth Information form and Youth Program form (found in their profile) are updated and complete before entering the lottery.
- Incomplete submissions (anything without a camper’s name, email, and link to their website profile) will not be accepted.
- Please submit only one entry per camper. We understand accidents happen. In the event that two submissions are made, the most recent submission will be entered into the lottery.
- If you're entering campers who are family members in the system and would like them to register for the same week of camp, please enter them in the lottery on the same entry form. If each camper would like to attend different weeks of camp, please enter them in the lottery separately.
- We are unable to accept friend requests through the lottery. Once your camper is enrolled in camp, you may update their friend request.
- If all of your camper’s preferred camp weeks are full by the time their application is processed, they will be added to the waitlist of their first choice week.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email summercamp@mountaineers.org or Associate Day Camp Manager Julia Knight.
