BreakawayKids is our elementary-aged summer program for those students coming out of 2nd grade (must be at least 8 years of age as of August 31st, 2026) through coming out of 6th grade. MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON
Church Coordinators are the primary point of contact for camp communication, registration support, payments, and required forms. Please review the details below carefully so your group is ready and compliant. Please also be sure to download and review the Camp Coordinator Packet (Kids // Teen) and the Coordinator Registration Guide.
1) Coordinator Registration and Church Code
All coordinators must sign up to identify themselves as either a Kids Camp Coordinator or Teen Camp Coordinator for their church. This step is required and ensures you receive updates, reports, and essential registration communication.
During sign-up, you will select your camp week and provide an estimated number of attendees. This secures the Group Hold for your church and generates your church’s Registration Code.
No student may register online without a valid church code.
Registration Codes may be requested:
For step-by-step support, refer to the Coordinator Guide to Camp Registration.
2) Payments and Deposit Deadlines
Church Coordinators are responsible for submitting payments for their church’s students and leaders.
Deposit requirement: $100 per student
Deposit deadline (postmarked by):
3) Discounts
Discounts are available to qualifying individuals:
Royal Rangers and Mpact discounts apply only to churches chartered for the 2025–2026 season. Please confirm charter status before submitting requests.
Complete the Discount Request Form for qualifying students. Approved discounts will be applied to your church’s total due.
4) Reports and Invoices
Coordinators will receive reports through Campwise. Updated invoices are generated using your assigned church code and are typically sent overnight.
You will receive an updated invoice each day a new registration occurs.
5) Group Housing
All groups are housed prior to arrival at Lake Williamson.
If a church is sending more than five children of the same gender, it is required to send a Cabin Leader to accompany that group.
Church Coordinators submit housing preferences using the Housing Request Form.
After the Housing Director completes arrangements, changes are strictly limited. Same-gender replacements may be considered, but housing adjustments cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability and logistics.
6) Check-In and Check-Out
Check-in: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm (Day One) at the Activities Center
Groups arriving after 2:00 pm must report to the Camp Admin (Rm A7; side room off of Atrium in the Auditorium Building).
Please eat before arriving or bring $6.00 per person for lunch in the Dining Hall (11:30 am to 1:30 pm).
The first meal served for Breakaway Camp is dinner on Day One.
All Breakaway Programs conclude with a closing service at 10:00 am. Cabins must be cleaned prior to departure.
7) Late Arrival and Early Departure
If a camper arrives after registration or departs before 11:00 am on the final day of camp, pre-approval is required.
Please contact the ISM Office for arrangements, including sign-out and back-in procedures.
8) Lice Check Policy (Kids Camp and Teen Camp)
All students must complete a lice check prior to camp, conducted early enough for treatment if needed. A qualified individual (such as a teacher or nurse) should perform checks.
Camp Coordinators must turn in the Lice Check Form at check-in.
If lice are found at camp, students will be checked by nursing staff. There is a $10 fee per child for checks conducted by nurses, and the church is responsible for arranging transportation home for any campers found with lice.
9) KP Scholarships
Churches may request participation in KP scholarships by completing the KP Participation Request.
To participate, the church must be able and willing to send a group leader to serve alongside students during the assigned KP week. Students earn a scholarship covering the registration cost of their camp week.
Space is limited and requests are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
This section provides important registration and payment information for parents and guardians of students attending camp.
To register your child for camp, you will need a Church Registration Code provided by your church’s Camp Coordinator. This code connects your child to their church group and ensures they are registered for the correct camp week.
Please contact your church directly to obtain this code before beginning the registration process.
Camp registration includes both Early Bird and Regular registration periods. Early registration is strongly encouraged, as space is limited.
Registration opens February 16 for students who have obtained a valid Church Registration Code.
Payments are not accepted online and must be submitted through your church.
Please contact your Camp Coordinator for payment instructions and deadlines. Parents of students not attending with a church group may contact ilsmsonline@idago.org for payment guidance.
Due to continued growth, Teen Camp weeks will likely reach capacity. We strongly encourage registering as soon as your Church Registration Code is received.
If a camp week fills, students may be placed on a waitlist. Being waitlisted does not necessarily mean your child will not attend. As availability is confirmed, unused spots are released and students may be moved from waitlisted to registered status based on registration date.
Please continue the registration process even if the system indicates your child is waitlisted.
Your first point of contact for camp-related questions should always be your church’s Camp Coordinator.
If further assistance is needed, or if your church is unable to provide support, please contact the ISM Office. We are happy to help and look forward to welcoming your child to camp.
We have a dedicated Volunteer Application process through the Campwise portal. This streamlined approach incorporates additional elements like Reference Requests and Background Checks, seamlessly integrating aspects that were previously handled separately. You will select “Volunteer Application” from our Camp webpage, rather than registering through the Camper portal, as in the past. You will, however, use the same login username and password as you used when signing up through the camper portal.
To ensure the safety and well-being of our campers, volunteers are required to complete the following steps as part of the application process:
Age Requirements:
Please note that volunteer selection is based on the specific needs of the program, and while we appreciate your interest, we cannot guarantee a position. Your dedication to these requirements is crucial to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all campers. Thank you for your commitment to Breakaway Summer Camps!
*"Cabin Assist" Role:
T-shirts can be pre-purchased at a discounted rate if registered by (May 15 for Breakaway Kids // June 12 for Breakaway Teen). Please select your preferred size during online registration. The discounted, pre-purchase rate is $20. After the t-shirt registration deadline, T-shirts will be available at the Camp Merch Store for $25 while supplies last.
A $100 deposit per attendee is required by the program's deposit deadline (Kids Camp: May 21st // Teen Camp: June 21st). This includes Cabin Leaders and Support Staff, who pay a total fee of $100 by the same deadlines. Cabin Assists are required to pay the $100 deposit. The remaining registration fees must be paid in full on or before the first day of camp. Please note that deposits will only be accepted if attendees have completed their online registration in the Campwise system. Students should make their payments to your church, which will then send a group payment to ISM.
Our camps are designed for church groups to attend together, creating a more connected and supportive experience. If you are an individual not currently attending with a church group, we encourage you to connect with a local church that is planning to attend. This will allow you to fully benefit from the group dynamic and enhance your camp experience. If you need assistance finding a church group or have questions, please contact our office, and we’ll be happy to help.
Refunds, Student Swaps, and Cancellation Policy
To accommodate programming, staffing, and capacity limitations, Breakaway Camp maintains the following policies regarding refunds, student swaps, and cancellations.
Non-Refundable Deposit
The $100 deposit per attendee is non-refundable under all circumstances.
Refunds for Students Unable to Attend
If a student is unable to attend, the Church Coordinator should notify the ISM office as soon as possible, as changes made within one week of the camp start date are subject to full registration fees. When feasible, we encourage the transfer of funds to another student within the same group who has a remaining balance.
If a transfer is not feasible and a refund is approved, the following will be deducted from the refund:
The $100 non-refundable deposit
T-shirt fee
High ropes fee, if applicable
Approved refunds are processed at the end of the Breakaway Camp season, typically in August.
Late Cancellation and Registration Closure Policy
If a student is withdrawn within one week of their registered camp week start date, the full registration fee remains due and is non-refundable.
Refunds will not be issued for students who choose not to attend after registration for their camp week has closed, as late withdrawals may prevent another participant from attending.
Student Swaps
Same-gender student swaps may be allowed up to 14 days before the start of a camp week on a case-by-case basis. Approval from the ISM office is required, and swaps are not guaranteed.
Important notes regarding student swaps:
The $100 non-refundable deposit paid for the original student does not transfer to the new student.
The new student is subject to the current registration rate at the time of registration. Previous rates, including Early Bird pricing, do not transfer.
Additional Refund Limitations
Refunds are not issued for:
Partial attendance during a registered camp week
Students who are expelled from camp
Refund Request Deadline
All refund requests must be submitted by the Church Coordinator or designated Billing Contact no later than August 15 of the camp year to be considered.
ISM does not process refund requests directly from parents or families. All refund-related communication and financial coordination should be handled at the church level first, with the Church Coordinator serving as the primary point of contact with ISM.
Overpayments or refunds not requested by this deadline will be donated to missions, BGMC for Kids Camp and STL for Teen Camp.
Please clearly label all items. Students are responsible for personal belongings. ISM is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
ISM withholds the right to search any bags necessary to ensure the safety of everyone on the grounds. If any student is found in possession of any inappropriate or dangerous item, they may be asked to leave immediately. If this should happen, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian and church to retrieve the said child from the grounds immediately, at their own expense without a refund.
The High Ropes Course is available to students in grades 4–12 on a first-come, first-served basis, with limited availability. Participation is an additional $30 per student and must be selected during the registration process, pending availability.
High Ropes fees are non-refundable within two weeks of the start date of your camp week.
Students who withdraw from High Ropes during this two-week window will remain responsible for the full High Ropes fee.
If you are unsure whether High Ropes is the right fit for your student, please review additional details before selecting this option.
Click here for more information about the High Ropes experience.
Students participating in any and all Illinois Student Ministries Summer Programs (Breakaway and Breakaway Kids) must be able to conduct themselves in a manner that does not disrupt the mission and objectives of the Breakaway program.
Students must be able to obey directions, follow accordingly, and obey rules for their own safety. In addition, Students must be able to handle themselves appropriately during activities such as free time, when general supervision is provided for the entire facility. (Students are not always specifically with their own Cabin Leader. At times throughout the day, they are under general supervision).
The ISM would love to see every student attend our summer program; however, we have limitations due to our volunteer staff and financial considerations that confine us to our basic ratios of 5:1. Should a student require further assistance due to physical, mental or social disabilities, a student's guardian may choose the following alternate arrangement for their child, in coordination with your Church's Coordinator.
The alternate arrangement would be for the student's guardian to provide a personal chaperone (of the same gender as the child) that would be the student's “one-on-one” cabin leader, who would be able to provide assistance in the bathroom/showers if needed.
The guardian would be required to cover all the expenses for this one-on-one cabin leader, in addition to the child’s registration. The student and one-on-one assistant would be assigned a room with other students, but that one-on-one assistant would only be responsible for the specific child.
Each Breakaway Program has varying degrees of outdoor terrain that may create mobility challenges for physically impaired participants. Every reasonable accommodation will be offered based on the limited availability of staff. Guardians should consider this and make appropriate inquiries prior to registering a child for any of our Breakaway Programs.
For security purposes, the personal cabin leader would be required to complete an Adult Volunteer Application provided by Illinois Student Ministries, which includes a background check.
The following timeline highlights key dates and deadlines for Church Coordinators, students, and volunteers. Dates are grouped by category for clarity.
