The option to request an all-gender cabin was provided to campers in Summer 2023. For decades, we have had wonderful experiences with all-gender groups, including our L.I.F.E. Guard and Akita Backcountry programs. Wehave extended a similar positive experience to Summer Camp through this opt-in cabin option.
Who can live in all-gender cabins? Could my child be assigned in an all-gender cabin even if they do not want to be? Why offer all-gender cabins? My camper is gender diverse. Do they have to live in the all-gender cabin? Which sessions and age groups will have an all-gender cabin? How many campers and Counselors stay in an all-gender cabin? My camper is open to living in an all-gender cabin if you need the numbers. Should I register for it? Where is the all-gender cabin located? How will you handle privacy, changing clothes, and sleeping in an all-gender cabin? Which bathrooms will campers in the all-gender cabin use? Who will be the Counselors in the all-gender cabins?
Who can live in all-gender cabins?
Anyone! All-gender cabins are great options for campers who identify as non-binary, for campers who want to bunk with a friend who feels safest in an all-gender cabin, or for campers who feel this is the best fit for any reason. Siblings or cousins of different genders who want to bunk together may enjoy living in an all-gender cabin as well.
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Could my child be assigned in an all-gender cabin even if they do not want to be?
No. This is an opt-in program.
Providing more choices for housing allows us to accommodate campers in safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces. This aligns with Camp Akita’s core values of acceptance, compassion, authenticity, and community. Our goal is to create spaces in which every Camp Akita camper is celebrated.
No. Trans, nonbinary, and other gender diverse campers are welcome to register for whichever type of cabin will help them feel safe, included, and celebrated: girls, boys, or all-gender cabins.
Which sessions and age groups will have an all-gender cabin?
If less than 6 campers select the all-gender cabin option in a particular session, we will not host an all-gender cabin that session. (In that case, any camper who selected the all-gender cabin will be placed in a second-choice cabin.) If many campers select this option, we might have more than one all-gender cabin during that session. All our counselors are trained on how to create a safe and welcoming space for campers of all genders in every cabin.
How many campers and Counselors stay in an all-gender cabin?
All-gender cabins can have a minimum of 6 campers and a maximum of 10 campers, with 2 Counselors. These are the same capacities for all cabins.
My camper is open to living in an all-gender cabin if you need the numbers. Should I register for it?
We ask that all campers register for their first-choice option. For example, if you prefer a girls cabin but would be ok with an all-gender cabin, please register for a girls cabin. An additional registration question is available to indicate that your camper would be open to being assigned to an all-gender cabin, if additional campers are needed to meet the minimum six campers. If you are unsure which type of cabin to select, we welcome a call to discuss which cabin option might be the best fit for your camper!
Where is the all-gender cabin located?
All-gender cabins are existing hillside cabins; we are not building any new cabin structures. Depending on session capacities and camper housing preferences, the all-gender cabin might be on the girls side of the hill, it might be on the boys side of the hill, or there might be multiple all-gender cabins.
How will you handle privacy, changing clothes, and sleeping in an all-gender cabin?
The same way we do in all cabins! All campers and Counselors (regardless of cabin assignment) are required to change in private; public nudity is not allowed. All cabins have a single-use changing room with a wooden door. Campers and Counselors follow the rule of one person per stall for changing and showering, and one person per bed for sleeping.
Which bathrooms will campers in the all-gender cabin use?
There are two large bathroom facilities on the hillside: one for boys and one for girls. Each include single-use toilet stalls and single-use shower stalls with solid, lockable doors. There is also an all-gender bathroom in the Lodge. It also includes single-use toilet stalls and single-use shower stalls with solid, lockable doors. Campers in the all-gender cabin can use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable using, whether it is the one closest to their cabin, the one across the hillside, or the one in the Lodge.
Who will be the Counselors in the all-gender cabins?
Like all Camp Akita cabins, there will be two Counselors assigned to the all-gender cabin. Camp Akita Directors will assign the two Counselors who we feel will work best with the group and their needs each session, as we do for all cabins.