Summer Camp Session 3 - Paddle Pushers (Grades 6-12)

Girls, get ready for the best summer ever at Camp Welaka, your home away from home in beautiful Jonathan Dickinson State Park! Whether you're a first-time camper or a seasoned outdoor explorer, Camp Welaka offers an unforgettable experience filled with friendship, adventure, and endless fun.

Why Camp Welaka?

Surrounded by 640 acres of Florida’s natural beauty, Camp Welaka is the perfect place for girls to discover new passions, build confidence, and make lifelong memories. Our campers spend their days enjoying exciting activities, including making new friends, exploring the great outdoors, and enjoying classic camp activities including archery/slingshots, canoeing & paddle-boarding, hiking, crafts, pool time, and more.

Hosted by Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, girls lead the way at Camp Welaka! This is a place where you can be bold, be adventurous, and be YOU—all while surrounded by a community of supportive friends and inspiring female mentors.

A Camp Designed for YOU!

Located in Tequesta, Camp Welaka provides a variety of accommodations for our girls, including platform tents, cabins, and ADA-accessible options. The camp is equipped with a Lodge and commercial kitchen, Unit Houses for activities, a full-time camp ranger, and an on-site nurse to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all campers.

Choose Your Camp Experience!

• Resident Camp – Immerse yourself and unplug with the full sleepaway, multi-night camp experience.
• Day Camp – Enjoy all the fun of camp without the commitment of a sleepover.
• Camp 2gether – A unique experience for girl campers and their guardian to share the magic of camp together.

This summer, Resident Campers will join us for Camp Mystery Quest! Step into the shoes of a detective to solve puzzles, crack codes, take part in scavenger hunts, and campfire tales. Every day offers a mysterious new adventure for girls and their new besties!

Day Campers can choose between our Artful Escape theme week or Back to Nature theme week.

NEW THIS YEAR:

Paddle Pushers - Our older girls live for adventure at Camp Welaka and this session will offer extended time on the lake honing their paddling skills to culminate in an open water paddle in kayaks up our fork of the Loxahatchee River. Campers will learn more about paddling safety, planning an extended paddle trip, and how to reenter the various watercraft we have at camp from the water.

Who can attend Session 3 - Paddle Pushers for Grades 6-12 July 6-10?

Girls who will be enrolled in 6th through 12th grades for the 2025-26 school year.

General Camp Information:

Campers will be placed in camp units with others of the same or similar age.

Campers will sleep in cabins or platform tents (with wood flooring and cots.) We generally put our younger campers in cabins and older campers in platform tents.

The health and safety of your child is our top priority. A Registered Nurse will be onsite for the duration of each camp session. They will dispense all prescription and over-the-counter medications to campers and counselors as well as tend to campers’ medical needs.

Our camp property is overseen by our Camp Ranger who maintains security at the camp. The front gate is the only public entrance to camp and is locked at all times campers are on property. The Camp Ranger also maintains cameras that are set up around the property borders to monitor for trespassers and unauthorized guests.

Your child will be supervised by capable and supportive camp counselors that have been carefully vetted and background screened. They cannot wait to meet your camper and share their enthusiasm for camp program!

Preparing for her Camp session

All girl campers are required to complete the following forms:

• Camp Behavior Agreement
• Camper Healthcare Recommendations for Licensed Medical Personnel
• Camper Health History
• Electronic Policy Agreement
• Emergency Contact
• Notarized Emergency Medical Permission Form

We encourage you to complete the forms as early as you are able and mail them to the address below before June 1st.

GSSEF Headquarters c/o Kate Goosey

6944 Lake Worth Rd.

Lake Worth, FL 33467

Forms completed after June 1st should be mailed to:

Camp Welaka c/o Kate Goosey

10205 SE Girl Scout Camp Rd

Tequesta, FL 33469

Camp Packing List

Wondering what to bring to camp? Check out the Resident Camp Packing List.

Buddies – Having a familiar face or friend at camp can help enrich the experience. Please make sure to identify any camp buddies that you know are attending your session during the registration process. We do encourage making new friends and our cabins/tents only allow four occupants so we can only guarantee one buddy per camper. We will try to group buddies together as much as possible. 

Valuables – GSSEF will not be responsible for the loss, theft or damage of any valuables sent with your camper to camp. Please consider keeping all valuables like jewelry, electronics etc. at home for the time your camper will be at camp.  

Electronics at camp – Electronics like cell phones, tablets and smart watches will be prohibited at camp this summer. We believe it is an important part of camp to unplug and connect with the outdoors as well as the other campers and camp staff for the duration of their experience. Your camper is allowed to bring a digital or disposable camera, personal music player, or electronic reader without cellular service.   

Homesickness – Homesickness is a part of life as everyone misses home, sometimes even the most experienced campers. Our counselors are experienced in helping girls work through these tough emotions using a variety of tactics. Counselors will spend extra time with homesick campers, distract them through activities and conversations, and most importantly acknowledge their feelings and reassure them that they are Girl Scout Strong and can do anything. You can help your camper by preparing them before they head out to camp. Encourage independence through sleepovers, trips with friends, and talking up how missing home is normal and part of building independence.   

Calling Home – Campers will not be calling home during their session. We do encourage them to write letters home and we will mail (if provided with correctly addressed envelopes with stamps) or deliver them to you at check out. In the event of an emergency, our Healthcare Manager or Camp Director will contact the guardians. Please prepare your camper as well as yourself for this aspect of camp.

Mail – Everyone loves getting mail, and mail at camp is no different! If you would like your camper to receive letters from home, please have your letters prepared before check in. Make sure the letters are clearly labeled with the camper’s name, and you can leave them in our camp mailbox to be delivered throughout the session. Your camper can also write letters home to you. Please provide your camper with paper, pen, and preaddressed, stamped envelopes. Outgoing mail will be collected at breakfast each morning and campers will receive their mail from home at rest time.  

Email –If you would like to email your camper, you may email CWResidentCamp@gssef.org by 12:00 PM each day of the session. Be sure to put your camper’s name and unit in the subject line of the email. We will then print the emails and deliver them to the campers during quiet time each afternoon. Remember, your correspondence should be positive and encourage your camper to have fun. Campers will not be able to reply to emails, but you can ask questions in the emails and leave space for them to fill in their answers to give you when they go home.  

Payment - At registration, you will pay a nonrefundable deposit. This secures your spots at camp. Balances can then be paid through your account as a whole or spaced out. All balances must be paid completely before your session. Campers will not be permitted to check in for their session if their balance has not been paid in full.

Early Reg Price - $450

Price after April 15 - $500

Financial Aid – Girls are able to apply for Financial Aid for one session of Summer Camp 2025. Please use this form. to apply for Financial Aid. Applications for Financial Aid will close on May 15, 2025.

Cancellation Policy – The cancellation deadline for Resident Camp 2025 is June 1, 2025 to receive a refund. If not cancelled before June 1, 2025, you will be responsible for paying the full balance even if your camper does not attend their camp session.

Confirmation Packets  
After registering for Resident Camp 2025, you will receive multiple email confirmations that contain important information about the check-in and check-out process, as well more details about the camp, such as a packing list. 

Keep an eye on your email for at least two more confirmation emails regarding Resident camp 2025. We do our best to keep you as informed as possible as you prepare your Girl Scout for Resident Camp, but the complexity of this experience can cause plans to change. We will update you as soon as possible when changes do occur.   

Please feel free to reach out to customercare@gssef.org at any time for more information.