Join me for Office Hours

One of the hardest things about starting a new position during a global pandemic has been that I have so far been unable to meet many of the people who support DuBois Center. As such, I will be hosting monthly “office hours” on Zoom the first Thursday of each month from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Please “come by” these virtual office hours and introduce yourself, share an idea for our ministry, or catch up on the many happenings on site!

We had technical difficulties for our September meeting. So, please join me on October 7 for our first gathering at this link.

Updates on DuBois Center’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy

As people of faith, we know intimately the importance of following the heart of the law. We were lucky this summer to have loose masking restrictions limited to inside our main buildings and when physical distancing could not be maintained. Our summer staff were truly commendable in their efforts to encourage their campers to mask up, and as such, no COVID-19 cases were reported involving our summer programming.

Our situation as the Delta Variant of COVID-19 spreads through the country is different than it was even just two months ago. As such, we plan to not only keep enforcing our indoor mask policy, we will also encourage a mask policy in our outdoor spaces at our larger fall events where physical distance can’t be maintained, such as Fall Festival. DuBois Center cannot guarantee that we will have extra masks on site when you arrive, so please bring a mask with you when you are planning to visit.

This very small step from our community partners helps reduce the risk to our wider community and helps us stay open for events.

Welcome Rylee Hodges-Stone, DuBois’s New Program Director!

Rylee Hodges-Stone has joined the DuBois Center staff as our new Program Director! She began this work with us on September 8, 2021 after interviewing with the Acting Director of Outdoor Ministry, Hayley Elliott, and the Conference Minister, Rev. Shana Johnson. Rylee will oversee planning and implementing our year-round programs.

Rylee initially heard about camp from her home church, Zion UCC in New Baden, and started attending in the summer of 2006, as a half-week camper. She grew up going to summer camp every summer, while also attending retreats and festivals at DuBois Center. Rylee grew up in New Baden and recently graduated from the Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville with a degree in Biology and Chemistry. In Rylee’s free time, she goes boating, goes horseback riding, and hangs out with her family.

At the start of our 2021 season, Rylee was one of the heroes who stepped up to pull off our summer programming. In many of our camper evaluations, Rylee’s name was the one mentioned as the team member who impacted our campers the most.

Her vision for DuBois Center and gifts are truly wonderful, and we believe we will see the benefit of her ministry among us for many years to come! Rylee can be contacted at the DuBois Center Office or via email at program@duboiscenter.org.

Prepping for Fall Festival

Calling all Bakers

We are now accepting donations for our “Sweet Treat Shop” at DuBois Center for the Fall Fest held Oct 3, 2021. We accept all kinds of baked goods – cookies, cakes, pies, candies, all of the good stuff! . This will be a fundraiser for DuBois Center and goes directly into scholarships to attend camp. Please consider donating and contact Hayley at director@duboiscenter.org or 815-627-0595 to coordinate!

Pie a Pastor

Calling all Illinois South Conference Pastors! One way we’ll raise money for DuBois Center at this year’s Fall Festival is by collecting donations to “pie a pastor” – or Hayley. We’ll set out jars and the person with the most money in their jar toward the end of the day will be pied in the face. If you’re planning to be at the DuBois Center Fall Festival and would submit your name to possibly be pied in the face, please contact Hayley at director@duboiscenter.org or 815-627-0595.

Updates on DuBois Center’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy

As people of faith, we know intimately the importance of following the heart of the law. We were lucky this summer to have loose masking restrictions limited to inside our main buildings and when physical distancing could not be maintained. No COVID-19 cases were reported involving our summer programming. Our situation as the Delta Variant of COVID-19 spreads through the country is different than it was even just two months ago. As such, we plan to not only keep enforcing our indoor mask policy, we will also encourage a mask policy in our outdoor spaces at our larger fall events where physical distance can’t be maintained, such as Fall Festival.

DuBois Center cannot guarantee that we will have extra masks on site when you arrive, so please bring a mask with you when you are planning to visit. This small step from our community partners helps reduce the risk to our wider community and helps us stay open for events. We encourage everyone to be smart, safe, and well.

Come work for us! Now hiring Nature’s Classroom Instructors.

Love the outdoors? Want to teach students in an experiential, meaningful way that they will remember for years to come? We are currently searching for instructors for our fall and spring Nature’s Classroom sessions! Instructors will work 3-5 days a week, teaching school groups team building, experiential science, and more!

A full job description is available on our website. Email Hayley (director@duboiscenter.org) or call 815-627-0595.