Yes, camp provides transportation to and from the Twin Cities and Cass Lake. This transportation takes two forms; a bus or counselor/volunteer-provided carpool. There is an extra fee for this transportation option and it can be added on to your camper fees during registration. You can sign up for one direction or both based on your needs.

Those who live farther away than the Twin Cities and would like to use the camp-provided transportation will need to coordinate their own travel and accommodations prior to arriving in the Twin Cities on the morning of the first day of youth week. Feel free to contact the Youth Week Registrar to check for carpooling possibilities or suggestions on where to stay.

There is an open-air ferry to take campers to the island. It leaves from SailStar Marina in Cass Lake and the fee for this ferry is built into the camper fee. It can get pretty wet on the ride over, depending on the weather, make sure your camper packs a garbage bag to cover their belongings and a raincoat for themselves.

June 15-22, 2024

Registration will open on March 11, 2024 at 12:00 pm CST. Please see the youth week Youth Week registration page for more details.

All campers will be required to show proof of vaccination for COVID-19 as well as provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 3 days of arrival at camp. While at camp, COVID protocols will be in place based on the current guidelines set by the CDC and camp’s health and safety policies.

That’s great! Campers who will be finding their own way to camp need to be at the SailStar Marina in Cass Lake, MN by 2:30pm on the first day of Youth Week. If you are also going to be picking up your camper on the last day of Youth Week, you need to be at the marina no later than 10am.

Each grade will be assigned to a different cabin, or the lodge, at camp. The living space is based on the number of campers in each grade group and the number of beds available in that space. Rooming assignments are decided upon arrival at camp and subject to change throughout the week.

Yes, we do provide partial scholorships. There is no need to fill out an application or send in a statement of need, we do not require either. During the registration process, you can check the box signaling you would like a scholarship, but in order to finish the registration process and secure your camper’s spot at youth week, you must pay the deposit which is roughly half of the total camper fee. After a few weeks, the registrar will contact you to discuss how much of the remaining camper fee you would need to be covered by the scholarship fund.

Youth Week provides a fantastic medical professional, volunteering their time Youth Week. This person is responsible for all medical and dietary related issues for campers at youth week. If your camper has a few special dietary or medical needs, they may contact you prior to your camper’s week to coordinate their care.

There are three meals a day prepared by the kitchen staff as well as an afternoon and evening snack. The kitchen offers fresh fruit, vegetables, and freshly made baked goods every day along with made-from-scratch meals that fit a variety of dietary needs and satisfy the most finicky palettes of the average youth.

No, please do not send food with your camper. Camp provides three youth-friendly meals a day as well as an afternoon and evening snack. Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and plant-based meals are available as long as they are requested during registration. The only exception would be a camper with a highly specific diet that could not be completely accommodated by our kitchen, in which case, we will notify you in advance and you could supplement what we can provide with food sent from home.

The answer depends on a few things. On the way up to and back from camp, the camp-provided transportation will stop at a designated fast food lunch spot, if your camper would like to purchase something to eat, they will need some money.

Also, we do have a small kiosk at camp where we have a variety of clothing items (sweatshirts, flannel pajama pants, sweatpants, t-shirts, bandanas, etc.) that campers may choose to purchase as a memento from their week at camp. Campers can pay cash for these items while at camp, the director can charge the credit card used during registration for each camper, or, preferably, the items can be purchased using Venmo.

Yes, the curfews are assigned by grade and are negotiated during the week. Counselors are on duty each night to make sure that youth adhere to the set curfews for each cabin.

The Youth Week Registrar will send out a suggested packing list about a month before Youth Week starts, but you can view it here. Campers will be sleeping in cabins that have bunk style beds with basic vinyl covered mattresses. Campers should bring their own bedding, including a pillow, and all the toiletries they will need for a week. Each cabin has a bathroom with indoor plumbing and there are separate shower houses. There are no laundry facilities in camp, so campers need to bring enough items (including towels) to last them the entire week.

Closed-toed shoes are a requirement for work projects and some campers choose to bring costumes or special outfits for the talent show or dance. During their down time, campers can sail, kayak, SUP, swim, etc so a swimsuit and water shoes are a necessity, as well as an extra towel. Lastly, don’t forget the layers and jackets for cold or rainy weather.

Yes, there is a phone line specifically for campers to use that will not interfere with camp business. The number is 218-335-6116. They may use it to call you and you may use it to call them. If you call and your camper is not within shouting distance, please ask the person on the other end of the line to find your camper and have them call you back so as not to hold up the line.

Yes, campers are allowed to bring their cell phones to youth week, however we stress the importance of “unplugging” at Camp UniStar and the value of being a present and active part of the youth week community. Screen time should be kept to a minimum.

Wifi is not available at camp and because of its remote location service may be spotty or nonexistent depending on your carrier. Please see the question about calling your camper for a more reliable method of staying in touch.

Yes, you can send packages or mail to the address below, but please be mindful that packages arrive at the marina in Cass Lake and may not get picked up by staff members for several days because of inclement weather, miscommunication, or plain bad timing. Depending on where you are sending it from, the package may need to leave before your camper does in order for them to receive it!

Camp UniStar

℅ your camper’s name (Youth Week)

25816 Star Island SE

Cass Lake, MN 56633-3339

Yes, please contact the Youth Week Registrar ahead of time about leaving early. A fee may be charged for the extra boat run required to take a camper from the island to the mainland if it does not coincide with an already scheduled boat run. Unfortunately, the fees for youth week are not prorated.

Yes, please contact the Youth Week Registrar ahead of time about the late arrival. You will have to provide your own transportation up to the marina in Cass Lake, but a staff member will meet you and your camper there to take them to the island. A fee may be charged for the extra boat run required to take a camper from the mainland to the island if it does not coincide with an already scheduled boat run. Unfortunately, the fees for youth week are not prorated. Don’t forget to register for the camp-provided transportation back to Twin Cities if you need that!

No, all campers must leave on the morning of the last day of Youth Week and must be picked up at the marina by a designated adult before 10am. If arrangements are made ahead of time, and the camper’s belongings are cleaned out of their cabin, they may leave their things on the island in between camper weeks. Please contact the Youth Week Registrar, to make those arrangements.

Always! Sunscreen and bug spray are a must, and treating clothes and bedding with Permethrin prior to arriving at camp is one of the best ways to protect your camper from tick-born diseases. The prevalence of ticks on the island only increases as the years go by and their capacity to spread diseases like lyme and anaplasmosis, even the newly discovered red-meat allergy, is going up.

Permethrin is a synthetic chemical that mimics the extract of the chrysanthemum flower which is a natural insecticide. Treating clothes with permethrin is required safety protocol for employees at the MN DNR, if it’s good enough for them…!

Here are some helpful links for prepping with permethrin:

• • • • • • MN Tick information & prevention (Conservation Volunteer Magazine)
          • How to soak clothes in permethrin (text)
          • How to spray clothes with permethrin (video)