Camp Registration Information: In recent years at RMBL, we have found that camper demand exceeds our capacity. Instead of a first-come first-served registration, we will be moving to an application process to enroll campers for the upcoming season. All campers, new and returning, are invited to enroll through this system. Please refer to individual program pages for application details. Once the application period is open apply through our on-line system located through the link at the bottom of each program page. If you have registration questions, please email youthscience@rmbl.org.

Required Paperwork to Attend Camp: After completing the on-line application form, we will send you specific forms required by the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Early Childhood Licensing for you to complete and return in order to finalize your enrollment in youth programs.  The required paperwork includes the following: Emergency Authorizations, Sunscreen Bug Spray Permissions, Health History, and the RMBL Waiver, Van Travel Permission and COVID-19 Waiver.

COVID-19 Policy: In order to keep students, scientists, and staff healthy in light of COVID-19, for Summer 2023, all participants in RMBL programs will be required to follow the RMBL COVID-19 health and safety plan, which will include proof of vaccination, and may include mask-wearing, hand-washing, personal distancing, and group size limits. Vaccine exemptions will be considered, as required by law. 

Cancellation and Refund Policy:  If you need to cancel your child’s spot, please contact our Youth Programs Coordinator at youthscience@rmbl.org. You will receive a refund from RMBL according to these guidelines for Pre-K-9th Grade Programs (see HS registration pages for refund guidelines for those programs): 

• • On or Before May 15th: 100% tuition refund – less registration fees
    After May 15th: Non-Refundable* 
  • *If enrolling in a session after May 15th, there will be a 24-hour grace period after enrollment to cancel and receive a 100% refund – less registration fees  
  • Emergency Cancellation: Cancellation due to a medical emergency will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Medical documentation will be required for exceptions in the cancellation policy. 

Full Programs and Waiting Lists:  We keep this website up-to-date with information regarding when programs fill. For each full program, we create a waitlist, and when we receive a cancellation, we will contact you to see if your child would still like to attend the program. Email youthscience@rmbl.org if you would like to be put on the waitlist.

Youth Instructor to Student Ratios and Learning Groups:  At the beginning of each program day, students are divided into appropriate age groups (grades k-2, grades 3-5, grades 6-9, and grades 10-12+) with assigned instructors.  Our Instructor to Student Ratio is 1:6 for k-2 and 1:8 for 3rd+.

Scholarships:  A limited supply of scholarship funds are available for the K-9 programs. If you need financial assistance, please complete the YP-2022-RMBL-Youth-Program-Scholarship-Application and return it to youthscience@rmbl.org

Where do I drop off and pick up my child?  Drop off and pick up for RMBL youth programs will take place at the 4 Way Bus Stop in Crested Butte, at the bus stop in Mountaineer Square in Mount Crested Butte, at the Snodgrass Trailhead or in the townsite of Gothic. For Nature & Science Camp, you will be required to sign your child in and out of camp each day, either in Gothic or at the bus stops.

At the bus stops, RMBL youth program instructors will pick students up in the RMBL van.  Mountain Express, the public bus, is no longer offering a route to Gothic.  The RMBL van will leave the 4 Way Stop in Crested Butte at 8:30am and Mountaineer Square in Mount Crested Butte at 8:40am daily and returns to Mount Crested Butte at 3:15pm and the 4 Way Stop in Crested Butte at 3:30pm (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays).  Please arrive at least 5 minutes prior to van departure times in order to keep the bus on schedule.

For those living in or near Gothic, please sign your child(ren) in at the Youth Nature & Science Center/Weese Laboratory located west of the Gothic Research Center at 9am each day, and pick up at 3pm (M, T, W, Th). The Youth Nature & Science Center will not open until 9am so that staff can set up materials. Parking for Youth Program pick up and drop off is allowed in Gothic along County Road 317 in the vicinity of the Visitor Center.  To get to the Youth Nature & Science Center, walk east on the path just north of the Visitor Center.  It is a brown log building with white trim and a green roof, and it is visible from the road.  No day parking is allowed in Gothic (the closest public parking area where you can park all day is at the Judd Falls Trailhead located north of Gothic).

What does my child need to bring to RMBL programs?

• Full Water Bottle
• Big Lunch
• Three Snacks!
• Sun Hat
• Sun Glasses
• Sun Screen
• Sturdy Walking/Hiking Shoes
• Warm Layers
• Rain Gear (Remember we are outside all day!!!)
• Long Pants and Long Sleeves (to put on when the bugs are bad; bug spray is an option too)
• Curiosity!

How do I communicate with RMBL Staff prior to or during programs?  You can reach Katie Lawn, Youth Programs Coordinator, through the youth programs email at youthscience@rmbl.org. If you need to reach us during the day when we are with children in Gothic, please use the main RMBL phone number 970-349-7231 (mobile coverage is spotty in Gothic).  Youth Program Instructors all carry radios so that the office can contact us in the field with the students.

You will also have an opportunity to check in with staff prior to and after the program during pick up and drop off times. If your child is going to be picked up by someone other than you, we will require you to document who is allowed to pick up your child that day.

Who are the youth program staff?  We hire enthusiastic science educators who love working with youth in the outdoors! Each staff person must pass a background check as well as have First Aid and CPR certifications. Our youth program team is trained not only in safely managing groups in the outdoors, but in how to engage children in both fun and meaningful field science learning experiences. Staff are typically hired after already having experience as teachers and guides for youth in a variety of camps, schools or non-profit organizations.