Eli Whitney Museum

Health Form: The medical form may be downloaded here

Medications. If your child brings and EpiPen, Inhaler, Benedryl, or any other medications, we must have a signed (by you and your child's physician) Medical Administration form and dosage instructions. We are not permitted to administer ANYTHING without this signed form on file. These must be accompanied by the Rx label for the medication. Meds must be in ziplock bags with the child's name and reason for use clearly marked on it.

In order to maintain a safe environment for children and staff with severe peanut/tree nut allergies, all lunches and snacks must not contain nuts or products with traces of nuts. This means no peanut butter sandwiches, nut snacks, trail mix bars, etc.

The snacks and ice cream provided by the museum are nut-free.

For the sake of safety, we require campers to wear sneakers only. Any open shoe allows things to fall into the openings.
Sneakers only! NO Flip Flops. NO Crocs. NO Keens.

Long hair is a problem. Anyone with hair that is long (ish even) needs to come to camp with their hair pulled back AND tied up in a bun (or something equivalent.) Girls and boys. Short hair that covers eyes need clips to hold it back.

So PLEASE, if your child has hair that hangs down over their eyes, or below their chins, tie it back AND then tie it up in a bun or equivalent. Hair that is swinging around can be a danger to the child around tools and machinery, no matter how safe a tool is. If it covers their eyes and they cannot see what they are doing (or we cannot see their eyes), we cannot be sure they are seeing what they are doing with one tool or another. And it gets in paint and glue as well.

EVERY WEEK, We must have a signed release for anyone other than a parent to pick up a child at the end of camp each day. A form is available online (Ext Day/Pick Up Permission/Ice Cream sign up) or can be filled out any day listing the people who have permission to pick up your child on any given day. This can be done on a Monday and be applicable for the whole week. We cannot release your child to anyone without this signed permission on file.

Pick Up permission pdf: https://www.eliwhitney.org/sites/default/files/Pick%20Up-Ice%20Cream-Ext%20Day%202015.pdf

Some students arrive early and/or stay late. Flexible supervision is available from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Fee: $8 per hour. (So, for a child who stays two hours after class for 5 days, (2 x 5 x $8 = $80) and so on.) We must have a credit card on file to enroll for extended day care. Your card will be charged at the end of the week when hours are confirmed.

If you signed up for extended care hours and didn't use all of them, you will be credited for them as long as you have informed us that you won't be using them before Noon of any day. We will issue a credit carry forward for any hours that you have cancelled ahead of time. We cannot issue a cash refund.

Please Note: If you are unsure about extended hours needed or are concerned about the fees being credited, you should wait to sign up for extended day closer to the week of Camp your child will be attending. That option is always available

Extended Day pdf: https://www.eliwhitney.org/sites/default/files/Pick%20Up-Ice%20Cream-Ext...

If you want to order ice cream for your child to have at the end of their camp day, fill out this form. See download link below. We will need this filled out for each week of camp that your child attends camp. This form is also available in the office. It can be dropped off or faxed to us at 777.1229. Ice cream sign up is by full week only. Not by single days.If you want to order ice cream for a sibling who is coming to pick up with you, please call the office to arrange.

Ice Cream order pdf: https://www.eliwhitney.org/sites/default/files/Pick%20Up-Ice%20Cream-Ext...

Jack Viele would have been a counselor now had not leukemia captured him in 1999. His family and friends preserve his memory with a fund that helps us accommodate children who need extra care to enjoy our workshops. Talk to us if your child needs special guidance or support. We will accommodate children to the extent that we are capable of and able to safely. If your child requires a full time Para in school, you will have to provide a full time Para during their week of camp as well. Call Sally Hill for information. 203.777.1833.

We provide a morning snack. All snacks are nut free.

Pack lunch in a ziplock or reusuable plastic bag with a name on it.

NO nylon lunch packs, NO lunch boxes, NO ice blocks. We refrigerate lunches, as required by law.

We build with children. We paint with children. We use strictly non-toxic paints and supplies. However, we get messy. It's just a by product of the process. If the paint sets, it may be hard or impossible to remove. So, dress for mess. Do not send your child in new or expensive clothing. Better yet, have your child wear the clothes that you plan to toss before school starts.

Our programs are designed for 6 year olds, who are prepared for a long day, experienced in groups, comfortable with 7 and 8 year olds. Any doubt? Bring them in for a trial walk-in project during weekend walk-in hours. Please contact us to let us know you are coming.

Each class requires a minimum enrollment. We must cancel or restructure classes that do not meet that minimum.

Our Annual Appeal and our Leonardo Benefit, our Trustees and Friends support this principle: no child should be denied the opportunity to learn for want of financial resources. This includes before and after care costs. You need only ask.

These funds provide partial and full tuition assistance:

• Open Workshop Fund – annual appeal gifts committed to providing access to all who request it
• AC Gilbert Fund – to support Fair Haven youth
• Catherine Greene Fund – to encourage girl mechanics
• Directed Scholarships – given by companies for employee children
• The Schwab Fund for gifted workshop learners from: Helen Street, Bear Path, Church Street Schools;

(Nominated by Science Supervisor)

If you choose not to pay the fee in full, you can secure your registration with a 50% payment + a credit card number to be placed on file. You must call us to give us the credit card number. For your protection, credit card information is not retained on our site when you sign up.Balances must be paid by June 1st. If we do not receive a check by June 1, the balance will be charged automatically to your credit card. Your acknowledgement on the registration form will authorize this.

For cancellations before June 1st, we retain a $75 clerical fee per child per week. You will receive a refund for the balance.

After June 1st, there will be a $75 clerical fee per child per week and the balance will be converted to a credit for future workshops.