We have two big announcements about summer camp. The scholarship request period is open through March 2nd, and we are announcing a camp site at Lester Amity Chalet!
Scholarships:
We recognize that Summer Camp can be too expensive for many families to afford. We are excited to be able to offer scholarships to support families in need so that they can be part of Chester’s summer programs.
The scholarship request period closes on March 2.
Scholarship funding was raised through Fall Fest gate donations, an annual silent auction and raffle, the November Warren Miller film screening, donations from individuals and businesses, and through generous grants of $10,000 from Essentia Health and $5,000 from the Boreal Waters Community Foundation Wetherby Fund.
Total scholarship awards are limited to $31,784, and we do expect requests to exceed funding that is available. We will be prioritizing the families with the greatest need.
Please fill out this form by March 2nd to request a scholarship.
All families requesting scholarship support will be required to pay the $75 registration fee even if they are otherwise awarded a full scholarship. Chester Bowl staff will contact families by the end of the day March 5 to share scholarship award results so that families know their scholarship award before registration opens. Each camper will receive one week of summer camp at no charge beyond the registration fee. The remaining funds will be dispersed to families based on their need as described by the current HUD income guidelines.
We expect that scholarships will be fully awarded based on the requests, so please register by March 2! Once families register we will apply their scholarships to their balance and then parents are responsible for paying their balance by May 1, 2026 or they will forfeit their camp spots. Please note that receiving a scholarship does not guarantee registration- you will still need to sign up for camp while there are open weeks.
Camp registration will open to returning families on March 12, and to new families on March 16.
For more information on summer camp, please click this link.
Lester Amity Chalet:
During this summer we will be expanding and renovating the Thom Storm Chalet, so we are not able to run camp at the Middle Chester or Upper Chester sites. In addition to having camp at Lower Chester, we are delighted to run a camp site for summer 2026 at the Lester Amity Chalet on Seven Bridges Road!
This site just feels right for providing the Chester camp experience, with close access to woods, water, and trails. It is also a reasonable hike from the playground. The Chalet itself is large enough for us to support 65 campers per day!
We are grateful to our friends at the Duluth Cross Country Ski Club, who operate this facility, for allowing us to use it for the summer!
