Youth Program FAQ
Who can come?
Students eligible for PASSPORT youth programs must have completed 6th through 12th grade at the time of camp. Adult chaperones must be at least 20 years of age.
At MissionBASE, non-participating guests such as young children or bus drivers are not permitted because of the nature of the mission projects and the housing arrangements.
What's the dress code?
Campers and adults should dress modestly and appropriately, according to their body type and developmental stage, the entire week of camp. While at camp, please take into consideration the following guidelines:
- Properly fitting clothes
- No clothing with inappropriate language/advertising
- Shirts with sleeves & tennis shoes required for mission projects
- Campers who are leading in worship (reading scripture, singing, praying, etc.) are encouraged to wear jeans, slacks, dresses, long shorts or skirts to worship. Please monitor your youth’s attire before they walk all the way to worship each night.
How many adults should we bring?
Your group’s adult to camper ratio MUST be a minimum of 1 adult for every 6 campers (adult and campers of the same gender). In other words, if you have three girls and seven boys, you will need one female adult and two male adults.
What are the goals of Passport Camps?
PASSPORT camps is a national non-profit student ministry empowering students to encounter Christ, embrace community, and extend grace to the world. We aim to provide opportunities for faith expression, building self esteem, nurturing community, and exploring the gospel through missions interaction.
Can Passport accommodate the needs of my campers?
PASSPORT youth camps will accommodate students with special requests. If you are bringing a camper or adult who may require special attention (e.g., Asthma; Seizures; Hearing, Sight, or Mobility Differences; Learning or Behavioral Differences; Dietary Restrictions; English as a second language), please let us know ahead of time and also bring the Special Attention Form for that camper or adult to camp check-In.
If a camper requires individual adult supervision at school, please assign one of your chaperones to accompany the camper at all times and include the chaperone’s name on this form. If you have a camper with special dietary needs, please note this in the Special Attention box on our registration website by May 1 or contact us at our national office more than 2 weeks prior to your camp session.
Where can I register? Is there a deposit?
How should we prepare for camp?
Prepare with a prayerful heart! Also, group leaders should consider packing the following supplies for your group: a portable first aid kit (including pain relief and itch relief medicines, extra insect repellant and sunscreen, work gloves, laundry detergent, extra pens/pencils for your group, some snacks and bottled water to “tide youth over” between meals, a backpack or duffle bag.
You will receive a link in February to the Group Leader Packet with everything you need to know to prepare for camp.
Are the mission sites safe?
Safety at mission sites is a top priority. We recognize that while our project sites are safe, with any hands-on missions project, there are always some safety concerns. To support a safe working environment, all adult helpers will sign up for a project and be expected to help supervise at their mission site.
What type of ministry will we do?
Depending on the program you attend, projects vary by location and week but may include painting, scraping, and cleaning the homes and yards of senior citizens; projects with local service agencies like community food banks or Habitat for Humanity; and providing educational and recreational programs to disadvantaged children.
Will we be serving in one place all week or various places?
There are various project sites offering hands-on mission opportunities for campers every week, but each small group (church groups split into 2-3 small groups) will stay at their same project site the entire duration of camp. This means that individual campers will serve in one place the entire week, but your church group, as a whole, will experience multiple mission projects!
Will we be working with other groups?
Youth come to camp for many reasons, but what many miss the most when camp is over is their time meeting new friends and serving together at the mission project sites. Churches will be split into small groups, and two or three small groups will serve together on each mission site.
How do we get to our mission sites?
Your buses, vans, and cars will need to be driven during the week to facilitate all campers getting to mission sites, which means that youth from other groups will need to ride in your church vehicles. All vehicle drivers must be at least 21 years of age.
If you are flying, taking the train, or chartering a bus, please make arrangements for your transportation while you are at camp. In addition to transporting youth, you will be carrying supplies in your vehicles, possibly including ladders.
Do you require background checks on your leaders?
PASSPORT camps require every youth group attending camp to conduct a statewide background check on every adult attending camp (this includes all chaperones). Any official statewide background check that you have conducted within the past three years is acceptable.
What will adult chaperones do?
Adult leaders will stay with students in the dorms at night and hang out with them at meals and free time. There is coffee and fellowship every morning at the Daily Grind followed by a brief Bible study and prayer time created just for adult leaders. Each afternoon you will join your group to provide supervision and valuable mentoring presence.
I am a youth minister, what's my role?
Youth ministers manage the details all year long, but at PASSPORT they get to sit down and eat with students without worrying if the projector is plugged in. Along with encouraging some sleep in the dorms at night (yeah right!), your job is to invest your time in relationship-building conversations with your students. At the end of each day, you’ll gather your group together to process, pray and reflect on what God might be doing in your lives.
Where do we stay?
Please see the accommodations descriptions on each location’s page.
What are meals like?
All meals from supper on Opening Day through Closing Day breakfast are included in the program fee, with the exception of dinner on Night 4 at PASSPORTchoices (Church Group Free Time). Meals will be provided by campus dining staff in the dining hall.
**If you have a camper or adult with special dietary needs, please note this in the Special Attention box on our registration website by May 1, or contact us at our national office more than 2 weeks prior to your camp session.
Compare Youth Programs
Not sure what PASSPORT program fits your group? Read our program comparison guide and find the best program for your group.
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