House In The Wood Honored for Program Excellence by American Camp Association

House In The Wood is proud to announce that its Summer Camp program has been selected for the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence. Our Summer Camp program has recently been recognized at the state and regional levels, but this national award from the American Camp Association is an especially high honor.

From ACA:

Eleanor P. Eells Awards for Program Excellence are designed to honor camp programs that:

1. Develop effective, creative responses to the needs of people and/or societal problems using the camp environment,  
2. Encourage continued development of such ideas,
3. Stimulate the exchange of creative ideas, and/or
4. Present to the public examples of positive contributions camp has made on the well being of individuals and society

The award will be presented at the ACA National Convention on February 9, 2016. We at House In The Wood and Northwestern Settlement are very proud to be the recipients of such an honor. We are proud of the Summer Camp program and the people who earned it. The inspiring programming and transformative experiences provided at House In The Wood are a vital component of our mission as an organization. This award strengthens our resolve to always reach higher for our campers.

We thank our staff, volunteers, supporters and the community whose tremendous efforts make Summer Camp possible. This honor is for all of you.

House In The Wood is ACA Accredited

House In The Wood has been accredited by the American Camp Association for many years. But those familiar with the ACA's accreditation process know that this mark of accountability does not last a lifetime; camps must work to keep it! ACA accredited camps are visited during programming once every three years and assessed on an exhaustive battery of guidelines and standards. House In The Wood was visited this past summer and we passed our assessment with flying colors!

The ACA Accreditation standards are focused on the safety and well being of campers, staff and the facilities and environment that make up the camp. Compliance with these standards is what allows House In The Wood to provide the safe, nurturing environment to its campers year after year. There are many standards and they are assessed strictly, so we are proud of the hard work of our staff in keeping House In The Wood in full compliance.

Rouse Cottage-New Lodging

What it will look like when it is done...

It should be completed in April 2015 or maybe even BEFORE! 

The building will have 5 bedrooms. Each bedrooms sleeps 4 people in bunk beds. 

It will have two restrooms with showers and a living room with a kitchenette.

A very BIG thank you to the Rouse Family for the donation.

House In The Wood

A program of Northwestern Settlement

NEW Program-Recreational Tree Climbing

Just started a NEW program at House In The Wood...Recreational Tree Climbing!
Join us for a day of hanging our in the trees.

We can run six lines up in the tree. Once up in the tree, you can climb as high as your rope, sit on a branch, stand on a branch, or even sit in a chair. We have two trees certified to climb--THE FIRST and WILT (named after Wilt Chamberlain). 

Our certified facilitator Curt Andrews who has over 20 years of experience in the tree business is our Tree Climbing Director. Our staff will help you with your harness and helmet. They will hook you into the rope and teach you all you need to know to climb up the tree. Call us at 262-728-2752 or e-mail at vwright@nush.org to book your fun now.

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

Just Opened...New Outdoor Education Center

WOW!
That is what most people say when they walk into our new OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER. As one our our new user put it "the website does not do you justice".

The Entrance to Our New Center

Downstairs--the Birdwatching Area with Bird Nest

The Classroom in the Trees

Our Herps--Turtle, Tortoise, Frogs, Toads, Snakes!

Our Nature Center with Interactive Things to Do

Our Stump Meeting Space

House In The Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

TO INSPIRE, NURTURE AND EDUCATE!

Five Months Later--New OEC Building

The SCHEDULE...
Building finished in TWO weeks!
Furnishings installed in TWO weeks!
Our Herps-Snakes, Lizards, Turtles, Toads and Frogs in THREE weeks!
Giant Bird Nest in FOUR weeks!
AmeriCorps & Volunteer setup help in FIVE weeks!
EVERYTHING DONE in SIX weeks!

DONOR DEDICATION for Board Members on Thursday, October 1.
OPEN HOUSE for general public on Saturday, October 17 from 1pm to 3pm.
EDUCATORS WORKSHOP with supper on Saturday, October 17 from 3pm to 6pm. RSVP HERE

Pictures NOW...

Front of OEC Building

Back of OEC Building from SW

Back of OEC Building from NW

Program Office

Boys Restroom--one of four restrooms

Herps Room--snakes, lizards, frogs and toads

Gathering Room (Back Wall has video screens)

Classroom

Downstairs-Nature Activity Area

Downstairs-Gathering & Astronomy Room

PJ's Patio

View of Campfire from Deck

COME TO THE OPEN HOUSE FOR THE FINAL LOOK!

House In the Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement

Dedicate NEW Pat Jaszka Meeting Center

We had a special celebration for Pat Jaszka prior to our annual Board Day to dedicate the NEW meeting center named for her and gifted by her family. Ms. Jaszka was a long time employee of Northwestern Settlement where she was responsible for emergency services and summer camp registration. Many of our former campers have credited her with keeping them out of the gangs in their neighborhoods because she sent them to camp for the summer.

The Meeting House will be part of the complex that is being built for the LIT's (Leaders In Training Teen Program) during the summer. This will be a place for the LIT's to meet for their sessions on camp skills and life skills during the summer. It will also be their "hang out place" as all teens need a safe place to hang out. The other part of the complex is the lodging building named Rouse Cottage that is due to start construction in September 2015 and be finished in Spring 2016. More about that building as it is being built.

Here are Pat Jaszka's grandchildren posing in their special day light blue tee shirts in front of the building that will be gutted to become the Pat Jaszka Meeting House.

House In the Wood is operated by Northwestern Settlement, Chicago, Illinois