Youth Programs

Outdoor Fun with Friends

At the Wenatchee River Institute, we believe the best place to spend a day off is outside. Our youth camps focus on connecting youth to the natural world, making new friends, and having fun! WRI's camps are offered throughout the year and topics can be seasonally specific. Students will learn about the world around us, play fun games, explore the trails on the WRI campus, spot birds, make art, and more!

We want every child to have a chance to learn and play outside with us. Our youth camps are priced in the Pay What You Can structure to make camps as affordable as possible to all families. It is our hope that some families will have the ability to pay a little more to offset the costs for families who cannot. 

Summer Camp 2024 Lottery

WRI is using a lottery system for summer camp registration again in 2024. Our hope is that the system will offer more equitable access to WRI summer camps and alleviate stress around registration. We are developing the 2024 camp schedule now and will share it prior to registration opening.

Campers can enroll in one week of camp through the lottery system. If there are spots in camp after the lottery, those will be open to everyone through general registration. Entering the lottery does not guarantee a camper a spot in camp. More details about the lottery system will be shared prior to the opening of the lottery.

Updated Important Dates:

February 27th - March 5th: Lottery form available (Lottery form will be linked below when available.)
March 6th - 8th: Process lottery and notification of results
March 8th - 17th: Accept and register for spots offered through the lottery (You will need to complete registration for the camp spots offered to you through the lottery.)
March 18th: Remaining camp spots will open for general registration in the evening. Register here.

Camps will occur weekly, July 1-August 16.

Lottery System

Please note: We are using a new registration system to facilitate the lottery and camp registration this year. If you have questions or something doesn’t seem to be working, please contact us at programs@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Thank you!

Timing: The lottery will be available beginning February 27. The form closes Tuesday, March 5th at 11:59pm. There will be no priority given to those who filled out the form first. All forms filled out between February 27 and March 5 will be treated equally.

Entering the Lottery: When you open the registration link, every camp will show a waitlist option. To enter the lottery for a camp, sign your camper up for the waitlist. Please only sign your camper up for one camp waitlist through this process. You will receive a confirmation email for your waitlist sign up.

Siblings: We recognize that sending siblings to camp in the same week is a priority for many families, and we want to be able to accommodate that as much as possible. The registration form includes a question about whether you’re hoping to register siblings for the same week of camp. Submit a separate waitlist registration for each camper you’d like to register.

Results: If your camper receives a spot in camp through the lottery, you will be notified by email by the end of the day on March 8. That email will include a link to register. You will need to complete registration by March 17 to accept that spot in camp. Entering the lottery does not guarantee a spot in camp. We are hopeful, however, that everyone who enters the lottery will get a spot in camp this summer. When you register, you can add extended care with a drop off.

Pay What You Can: WRI is committed to continuing the Pay What You Can structure for camps. How we are able to structure Pay What You Can is shifting with the new camp registration program. Each camp lists the full cost of camp on the registration page. Click here to learn how to adjust the cost to meet the needs of your family. Click here to watch a video showing how to access Pay What You Can options.

Click here to watch a video walk through of the lottery process.

Safety Precautions: WRI will continue to monitor state and local guidance around COVID and may update our practices if recommendations change. For programs that have both indoor and outdoor components such as camps, we prefer that participants are fully vaccinated for COVID-19. In the event of any COVID exposures, we will be following the current CDC guidelines.

Check back here for upcoming camps and registration news. The best way to find out about camp registration is to join our mailing list or follow our social media (Facebook and Instagram).

Medical form and waiver.

Upcoming Camps:

If camp events you have already registered for are cancelled, the Wenatchee River Institute will refund 100% of the registration fees. If you have questions about COVID-19 and the Wenatchee River Institute, please call us at 509-548-0181 or email us at programs@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org