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Volunteer at Camp this Summer!

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Volunteers are the heart of strong and healthy Outdoor Ministry programs. At DuBois Center, they serve throughout the year on committees and teams, at the barn, in the office, on work projects, leading retreats and raising funds.

During the summer, there are a variety of ways to get involved and make a difference in the lives of the young people we serve. Join us for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, a couple days during the week or a full week of camp. Volunteers work hand in hand with paid summer staff to provide our fun, engaging and faith-filled program. For more information, contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Additional information and volunteer applications are available here.

Summer Volunteer Options:

  • Cabin Counselor
  • Barn Helper
  • Activity Leader
  • Chaplain
  • Nurse
  • Photographer
  • Sunday Welcome Team

Those looking to volunteer who are 15 – 16 should consider the CIT (Counselor in Training) program, June 25-30.

We Need a Golf Cart!

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Planning to replace your golf cart this spring? Have one that is just taking up space? DuBois Center is in need of a 4-seat golf cart – gas or electric. Our nurses currently use a two-seat gator to respond to medical situations and deliver medication. If a camper needs to be transported back to the health center for treatment, there is no room for a third person.

Renting a golf cart for the summer is very expensive, so we are exploring other options. You can help with this critical need and, perhaps, save some on your taxes. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information contact Shirley at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. Thanks in advance!

Meet Our Summer Staff – Ryan

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Welcome, Ryan Goetter, to our 2017 team! This will be his third season on summer staff. Ryan grew up near Collinsville IL, an avid member of his high school band and active member of St. John Evangelical UCC. He attended summer camp at DuBois Center for many years, including our C.I.T. (Counselors in Training) program in 2013. While in high school, Ryan volunteered as a teacher for 4-H groups. That experience has proven to be valuable as DuBois Center began partnering with 4-H of Southern Illinois for their summer camp program. This summer, Ryan will be coordinating our staff team for that endeavor. In addition to serving as a Counselor/Activity Specialist for DuBois Center, Ryan also counsels for Camp Phoenix, the summer camp for the Episcopal Dioceses of Missouri.

Ryan is a student at Missouri State University where he studies Instrumental Music Education. This has given him even more experience working with youth through practicum credit hours. On campus, Ryan works in the business office of the medical clinic and is actively involved in Lambda Chi Alpha. He is the Director for Drug and Alcohol Awareness for the MSU chapter of FSLSA (Fraternity and Sorority Leaders of Social Awareness).

Ryan is passionate about summer camp – from the magical “escape from the real world” to the wacky songs and the spirit-filled worship circles. The wonderful, often off-beat, interactions with campers and the enduring friendships with fellow staff members – he loves it all!

Early Bird Registration Deadline – April 5

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In less than three months, the first week of summer camp at DuBois Center will be in full swing! It’s time to THINK SUMMER! Register for 2017 Summer Adventures by the Early Bird Deadline and save $20 on full-week sessions and $10 on part-week sessions. Completed registration (online or by mail) and non-refundable deposit are required for this discount. The Early Bird Deadline this year is Wednesday, April 5.

View the brochure online or download it along with a registration form. You may also contact DuBois Center at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202 to receive these by mail, or register online here.

Meet Our Summer Staff – Meredith

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Introducing Meredith Ellis, one of our returning Counselor/Activity Specialists! Meredith grew up in Glen Carbon, IL and is an active member of Troy United Methodist Church. She first came to DuBois Center for summer camp with a friend when she was in the sixth grade. She instantly loved it and returned year after year as a camper. In 2013, she participated in our CIT (Counselor in Training) program and then volunteered the next year. She dedicated the summer of 2016 to serving on our summer staff.

She has “wanted to be a counselor ever since [she] was a camper” and had an amazing experience in that role last summer. She is looking forward to “being back in such a beautiful place” and seeing her past campers again! Meredith’s experience, beyond camp, includes working with family programs and teaching youth tennis lessons at the YMCA. When not at camp, Meredith studies Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. At school, she is a student worker at her university library and is involved in campus ministry, a campus sexual assault education program and Alpha Delta Pi. In her free time she likes to read and drink tea. Welcome Meredith to our 2017 summer staff team!

Meredith Ellis

Be a DuBois on Broadway 2.0 Sponsor!

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Do you love DuBois Center and its mission? Are you looking for a way to support DuBois on Broadway 2.0 even further than just attending? A sponsorship may be perfect for you! Click here to learn more about the event, which will occur on Friday, May 12.

We need people like you to make this event even more of a success. There are multiple sponsorship levels – and all proceeds will go to DuBois Center. Each level comes with different benefits, read on below to learn more.

  • Friend Level – $100 – $250
    • Includes: Your name(s) on the sponsorship board and program book
  • Honorary Level – $500.00 – $750.00
    • Includes: Your name(s) on the sponsorship board and program book, plus two (2) tickets to the event
  • Silver Level – $1,000
    • Includes: Your name(s) on the sponsorship board and program book, plus a table for eight (8)
  • Gold Level – $2,500
    • Includes: Your name(s) on the sponsorship board and program book, special recognition during the gala, plus two tables for eight (8) for a total of 16 seats

To sign up to be a sponsor, download fill out this form. Should you choose Honorary Level or above, be sure to include the names of the event attendees on the form. You can return the form via email to ISC DuBois on Broadway – 1312 Broadway, Highland, IL 62249 or scan and email the completed form to CPursell@iscucc.org. Please call 618-654-2125 with credit card details. Sponsorship forms and payment are due by April 28, 2017.

Calling All Quilters!

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For over a decade, a quilt drawing has been a significant piece of the annual DuBois Center Fall Festival. In recent years, we have been blessed to have two or more art quality quilts each year which together have raised $1,500-$2,400 annually. We’re reaching out now to see if anyone is interested in creating and donating a quilt for this years’ event.

The quilts are typically donated by local church quilting groups and other friends of DuBois Center. Specifications include queen-size, appealing to a wide audience and made with love and prayers. Ideally, the quilts begin traveling to local churches in August, so a July completion date works well. If you or your quilting group might be interested in donating a work-of-art quilt for the 2017 Fall Festival, please contact the DuBois Center office at dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202. We’d love to talk to you about the possibilities.

Meet Our Summer Staff – Kalie

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We are excited to announce Kalie Vyers as the 2017 Lead Counselor! From Belleville, Illinois, Kalie grew up as an active member of Damascus Road Fellowship, where her father is the pastor. She has always enjoyed working with children – having gone on mission trips to orphanages in Mexico, working with day camps, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and currently working as a missionary with a preschool through a church program in Tahoe City, California.

Kalie’s relationship with DuBois Center began as a camper when she was 12 years old. She recalled, “I always looked up to my counselors and knew that one day I wanted to be just like them.” Kalie graduated from our CIT (counselor in training) program, volunteered at DuBois Center in 2011, 2012 and 2015. She dedicated her summers to being on summer staff in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

She says she is excited to be back again in 2017 because, “Being a counselor is the best job I have ever had. I enjoy getting to meet children with many different lifestyles and personalities. It feels great to be able to give them the wonderful camp experience that I always loved to have when I was a kid.”

This summer Kalie has agreed to be our Lead Counselor – a position that only appears occasionally when an individual has extensive experience and skills to share with newer leaders, but prefers to spend most of their time working directly with campers. When not at camp, Kalie loves to be outdoors – hiking, skiing, playing basketball and engaging in all kinds of water activities. She also enjoys painting, and playing cards and board games with friends and family.

Kalie Image 2

Service Saturdays

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March 25 & April 22

Lend a hand with spring cleaning and summer prep! Spend quality time with your family, friends, youth or fellowship group and make a big difference. We’ve got engaging projects for all ability levels and you’ll leave camp with a real sense of satisfaction. Projects vary, depending on weather and the skills of the workers, but could include raking, carpentry, painting, cleaning and more. If you or your group has any special skills, please let us know ahead of time.

For more information check out this flyer. Lunch is provided, so please RSVP to DuBois Center at or dcinfo@DuBoisCenter.org or 618-787-2202.

Service Saturday 3

Service Saturday 2

See ya, Leah!

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Our sixth Outdoor Ministry Intern, Leah Juenger, has come to the end of her internship. Leah Juenger fell in love with DuBois Center as a part-week camper when she was very young. She attended summer camp each year growing up, graduated from our CIT program, worked as a camp counselor in 2013 and 2014, took on more responsibility as a village coordinator after graduating from college in 2015, and then moved into the internship in September 2015.

All these experiences have left Leah with what she knows will be a life-long passion for DuBois Center and the ministry it provides. Over the past 18 months, Leah has gained skills in program development, staff supervision, and administrative duties such as writing and proofing promotional materials and using Excel. Throughout the internship, she also integrated her love of yoga into DuBois Center programming – which she assures us she will continue for retreats whenever she’s available. On the last day of her internship, Leah packed up and headed to Chicago for a yoga conference, where she will complete her journey to become a 200-hour certified yoga instructor.

In the coming months, Leah will be leading yoga classes, serving a few hours a week at DuBois Center and training for her summer assistantship with a company called Bricks 4 Kidz. She admits that spending the summer months somewhere other than DuBois Center is a foreign concept, but she feels prepared for this next adventure. Although, we will miss working with her on a daily basis – especially her welcoming smile, attention to detail, focus on summer staff recruitment and training and willing spirit – we know this isn’t goodbye; it’s “See ya later!”