Frequently Asked Questions 

Is the Space Education Center part of a school district?
Yes, we are located at Central Elementary School in Pleasant Grove, Utah. We are part of the Alpine School District.

How long has the Space Education Center offered field trips, camps and classes?
Twenty years. We have hosted over 260,000 students, teachers and parents.

When are camps and classes offered?
We offer camps and classes year round. Information for school year programs is available on our website in September. Information on Summer Camps is available on our website in March.

Where will the students sleep?
The Space Education Center uses 3-4 rooms for sleeping. The Voyager Simulator has three sleeping quarters of no less than 4 students to an area. We also use regular Central School classrooms. Students sleep between 10 and 15 to a room. They use cots or inflated mattresses, whatever they find more comfortable.

Is there air conditioning?
The entire school is air conditioned.

Where will the students eat?
All campers and staff will be eating in the school cafeteria.

Will students be allowed to choose their roommates?
There is no need to pick roommates since all campers will be sleeping in the same areas

Will friends and family members be put on the same team?
You may request that you be put on the same team as a friend or family member with the understanding that your request will be considered but not guaranteed. Our long experience has shown that it is beneficial if a camper gets to know new people. Each student will have the opportunity to interact with students from across the country and make new friends.

Can family members visit their children or siblings while they are at camp?
We would ask that there be no visits during the time camp is in session.

What if there are special dietary needs?
Each student is required to fill out a simple medical form. Please list any food allergies on this form. If a student requires a doctor ordered diet, then the parents may send food with the student.

What food is served during camps?
Mrs. Clegg is in charge of the cafeteria and prepares excellent nutritious meals. Many meals are all you can eat with fruit, main courses, veggies, and dessert.

What if a student is on medication?
Utah State Law prohibits us from dispensing medication of any type to campers. Any prescribed or over the counter drugs must be sent with the student to camp. You will need to list all medications sent with the student on the medical form along with the dosage information. We will remind the student to take their meds but they must self administer them. If medication requires refrigeration, please let us know and we can take care of that. Because our days can sometimes be very long, it is advisable that parents send a small supply of over the counter headache or stomach ache medicine (e.g. Ibuprofen, Pepto Bismol tablets, etc.)
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Can a student call home?
The only phone at the building is in the Space Center office. Students may call home provided the conversation is kept to a couple of minutes. Parents may send cell phones with their child but we would ask that phone calls be limited to before breakfast or prior to bedtime. Cell phones must be kept in their suitcases during daytime hours.

How do I find the building where summer camps are being held?
Directions are on your camp confirmation forms.  DO NOT USE GOOGLE MAPS OR MAP QUEST.  THEY ARE INCORRECT.

How well are the students supervised?
The director, Victor Williamson and other staff members, stay on site 24 hours a day while camp is in session. At any one time there is a staff of 6-10 adults, all fingerprinted and background checked. There are also several high school camp assistants. Students are never alone and move through the camp in groups. The sleeping areas are staffed by two adults who have been fingerprinted and background checked and not allowed to chaperon until they have worked at the Center for a minimun of a year or more. Several of the rooms are equipped with surveillance cameras and microphones allowing constant monitoring of the campers.

Can a student come to more than one camp during the same summer?
Our camps are divided into Class Sessions and Flight Sessions. There are five Flight Sessions and one Class Session created each year. Students may come to the Center until they have done all five Flight Sessions.
The EdVenture Camp gives the student 3 Flight Sessions and one Class Session.
The Day Camp gives the student 3 Flight Sessions and one Class Session.
The Overnight Camp gives the student 1 Flight Session and no Class Session.

Are there any family discounts available?
We work very hard at keeping the costs of camps to an affordable level thus allowing everyone to enjoy the benefit of low tuition. Many programs offer "family discounts" off an inflated price, we choose not to do that.

Is there any financial aid available?
There are times when companies or individuals will make a scholarship donation to our programs. This does not happen every year so the best thing to do would be to contact us and ask if there are any scholarships available for the upcoming summer.

Will students need to bring spending money?
Large amounts of money are not needed. Camper may purchase soda and candy bars. Students may purchase extra T-shirts for $10.00 or a DVD of camp pictures $10.00. Monies raised through the purchase of these items will go into the Space Center's general fund for camp improvements.

Does the Space Education Center accept private and corporate donations?
Most definitely. Any donation made will be run through the Alpine School Foundation (a 501c organization) and is completely tax deductible. Larger donors may sponsor a simulator for a donation of $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the simulator being sponsored. Once a simulator is sponsored it cannot be sponsored by anyone else. All sponsors will be recognized by way of signage outside the sponsored simulator as well as be listed on the Space Center's website.

What do the students need to bring with them to camp?
The packing list is found on your camp confirmation form.

Can I email a student while they are at camp?
Yes, you can send an email message to our office. Each morning we will print off the message and deliver it to the camper. Please include the words " Camper" followed by the students name in the subject box of the email. We do not open unknown emails. We would ask that you keep the message short since there are many emails that come in to the campers. We would also ask that only immediate family members, including grandparents, send email messages.

Is there a refund policy?
Yes, the refund policy is printed on the application.

I have a question that wasn't answered on this page? Who can I contact?
Visit our Contact Us page for any other questions.