- 2025 Camper registration will be available March 10, 2025 at 4:00 pm.
- A link to on-line registration will be activated on this site when registration opens.
- All camper registration and payment will be completed online. Credit cards and electronic checks accepted (we cannot accept cash or checks).
Camp Kiwanis is a traditional residential summer camp program for children ages 7-13. Daily activities include swimming, canoeing, field games, arts and crafts, and archery. The camp has been in operation since 1948 and is a cooperative program between Marion County Public Schools and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala.
Important Information about the Program
Camp Sessions & Fees
|
Week
|
2025 Dates
|
Session Fees |
|
1
|
June 9-13, 2025
|
$400.00 |
|
2
|
June 16-20, 2025
|
$400.00 |
|
3
|
June 23-27, 2025
|
$400.00 |
|
4
|
June 30-July 3,
2025*
|
$320.00 |
*Week 4 is a shorter session, Monday-Thursday due to the 4th of July Holiday!
This year’s increase in camper registration fee is due to a rise in operating costs.
Refund Policy
- Any notice of cancellation must be reported in writing to Leslie Woodruff, camp clerk, by emailing [email protected]
- Cancellation more than 2 weeks prior to camp date-50% of the registration fee will be refunded.
- Cancellation less than 2 weeks prior to camp date-No Refund
No refund will be given if campers are sent home during the camp session due to illness, misbehavior, or any circumstance beyond the control of the Marion County Public Schools.
Free Bus Service to Camp Kiwanis from Ocala
Bus service from Marion Technical Institute (the old Forest High School) on Ft. King Boulevard in Ocala to and from Camp Kiwanis will be provided . The bus begins loading at 7:30 am and departs at 8:00 am on the first day of camp. The bus returns to MTI at 3:30 pm on the last day of camp. Families in private vehicles may also transport their campers to and from Camp Kiwanis.
Registered Camper Information Packet
Camp Overview
Camp Kiwanis is traditional residential summer camp program with five-day sessions for children ages 7-13 during the summer months. Daily activities include swimming, canoeing, field games, arts and crafts, and archery. Evening activities include skit night, relay races, battle-ball, and a dance. Camp activities are designed to be fun, safe, and let kids be kids.
The camp is a cooperative program between Marion County Public Schools and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala. All camp staff members are employees of Marion County Public Schools. Campers pay to attend and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala and other local Kiwanis clubs also provide scholarships to underprivileged kids. Camp Kiwanis accommodates 104 campers per session and has a staff of 34.
Camp Staff
The Camp Kiwanis staff consists of a Camp Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, Camp Nurse, Health Clinic Assistant, Camp Clerk, Maintenance Supervisor, four Activity Instructors, twenty-two Counselors, and three kitchen staff. Activity Instructors are certified classroom teachers. Counselors are either high-school students or college students who have previously worked as Camp Counselors. The overall camper to staff ratio ranges from 3:1 to 5:1 depending on the time of day (this ratio includes all staff). All Camp Staff hold current CPR and first aid certification, and have passed background checks and drug screening.
Camp Employment
All Camp Kiwanis staff are employees of the Marion County School Board. Certified teachers are hired each summer as Camp Instructors. Notice of vacant instructor positions are typically posted with available summer school positions. For more information, call or email the Silver River Museum.
High school and college students are hired as Camp Counselors. Students must have completed the 9th grade to be eligible for application. Counselor applications are sent to local high schools in early February. You may contact your school Guidance Counselor for an application, or download it from the link below. Completed hard copy applications are due back to the camp clerk no later than March 22. Interviews and hires are completed in by late April.
2025 Camp Kiwanis Counselor Application
2025 Camp Kiwanis Counselor Information Packet
Camp History
Camp Kiwanis is located on Mill Dam Lake in the Ocala National Forest. The facility was first used as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp for workers during the 1930s. The camp later served as a quarantine hospital during World War II. After the war, the camp fell into disrepair. The Kiwanis Club of Ocala leased the property from the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1940s and began refurbishing the facilities. In 1948 the club opened Camp Kiwanis with a focus on providing a fun and safe summer camp for children.
A wooden dining pavilion was added in 1952, and air-conditioned dormitories were later built to replace aging wooden cabins. Portable classrooms, a playground, archery range, and sports fields have also been added over the years. In 2003, a large multi-purpose pavilion replaced the old wooden dining hall. In operation for over 60 years, Camp Kiwanis has provided summer fun to generations of kids.