To help make your Mini U summer camp experience as smooth as possible, please read the following guide carefully. There are some special things to note about how things are operating on July 2. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 204-727-7311, or by e-mail at miniu@brandonu.ca.

IMPORTANT Week 1 Updates / Changes:

  1. Mini U is operational on Monday, July 2, and the Healthy Living Centre will be open as per normal. However, the rest of the university will be closed, with the exception of Mini U programs operating in the various buildings.
  2. Due to BU Food Services being closed for Monday only, those on the lunch program will receive pizza, chips, fruit cup and juice instead of the regularly scheduled spaghetti, etc. For those not on the lunch program, please send a bagged lunch, as the cafeteria is closed and food cannot be purchased.
  3. Pick-up of AM-only Juniors will be between 12:00 and 12:15 PM and will at the south doors of the Brodie Building opening onto Louise Avenue.
  4. End of the day pick-up for PM-only and full-day Junior campers will be as per normal at the south half of the HLC gym, while Senior campers can be picked up in the Henry Champ gym (as per normal).

What to Bring:

  1. Recommended: 30+ SPF Sunscreen, hat, water bottle, umbrella (as needed);
  2. Weather-appropriate clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty/stained;
  3. Non-marking gym shoes; PLEASE DO NOT WEAR “WHEELIE” SHOES, as they not allowed on Brandon University campus or in the Healthy Living Centre.
  4. A nut-free bagged lunch (for those who have not purchased our lunch program option, or who do not wish to purchase from Charlie Biggs);
  5. Nut-free morning/afternoon snacks (required for Junior Chipmunks, Junior Turtles, and Junior Moose; optional for Senior Mini U and Specialty Camps);
  6. For Junior Chipmunks, Turtles and Moose: Every Friday afternoon is Waterpark Day (weather permitting), so please send a swimsuit, towel, hat, sunscreen and water bottle with your child;
  7. Backpack to carry belongings.
  8. Recommended: Headphones (for those in computer courses like Minecraft, Game Design, etc.), Ball Cap (for younger/smaller Senior campers enrolled in Archery tag).

Please note that we are not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen items/money, so we recommend that campers do not bring expensive items like electronic devices (laptops, Nintendo DS, iPod/iPad/iPhone, etc.) or more money than is necessary for lunch. Please do not send skateboards or rollerblades with campers either. Also note that backpacks and lunch kits will be carried around by the camper during the day.

Camp Hours:
Mini University normally runs from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with classes starting at 9:00 AM and ending at 4:00 PM (depending on the exact camps/programs you have signed up for). Parents who wish to drop off their child earlier (7:30 AM to 7:59 AM) and/or pick them up later (5:01 PM to 5:30 PM) may purchase our Early Drop-Off and/or Late Pick-Up options at our Mini U registration office (Room 003, Healthy Living Centre).

Please note that parents who have not purchased the above options and are consistently early dropping off and/or late picking up their child will be billed the appropriate fees.

Parking:
Parking is available in all of Lot 11 and in Lot 10 parking spots that are NOT marked as “HLC only”. (Refer to campus map, below.)

If you ever have a parking concern, please contact our registration office at 204-727-7311.

Where to Check-In (Arrival):
Please go to the Healthy Living Centre, enter through either the north doors (main lobby) or south doors (off of parking lot 11) and follow the signs to the Henry Champ Gym (for specialty camp/Senior Mini U) OR the south half of the HLC gym (for Junior Chipmunks, Turtles and Moose).

To view a map of our campus, please download our PDF map here: https://miniu.brandonu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/MiniUMap.pdf

The Mini U Registration office is located downstairs in Room 003 (basement) of the Healthy Living Centre.

Early Drop-Off:

  • Early drop-off campers (Seniors & Juniors) will check-in at the Henry Champ Gym between 7:30 AM and 7:59 AM. This is only for those that have purchased our Early Drop-Off option.

Regular Drop-Off:

  • All Juniors (AM-only and full-day) will check-in on the south half of the HLC gym (Healthy Living Centre) between 8:00 AM to 8:59 AM.
  • Juniors (PM-only) will check-in at the south half of the HLC gym (Healthy Living Centre) between 12:45 PM and 1:00 PM (exception: July 2; see above).
  • Senior Mini U and Specialty Camps campers will check-in in the Henry Champ Gym (Healthy Living Centre).
  • Specialty Camps (PM-only) will check-in in the Henry Champ Gym between 12:45 PM and 1:00 PM.
  • On the first day of the week, please check-in by 8:30 AM. On all other days, check-in by 8:45 AM.
  • If you are ever late dropping off your child, please take them to the Mini U registration office first (Room 003 – Healthy Living Centre). Please do not send them on their own to go find their class.
  • ALWAYS make sure to check-in your child with our staff during EACH day of camp.

Course Changes (for Senior Mini U only):
Senior Mini U campers may change their courses for Weeks 1 – 4 until 9:00 am of the second day of the camp week (i.e. 9:00 am Tuesday for 5-day weeks). Course changes are dependent on available spots and can be made at the designated table in the Henry Champ Gym.

Due to course content and project timelines, the following courses may not be available for campers to switch into: Robot Makers, Robot Coders, 3D Printing, Game Design.

Lunchtime and Lunch Program:
Full-day campers must spend the lunch hour under the supervision of Mini U staff, unless prior written parental permission has been given. Mini U participants will eat their lunches in the “Down Under” area (by Charlie Biggs) of the BU Cafeteria. Following lunch there will be supervised physical and quiet activities in the gym.

Students may bring a bag lunch, purchase food from Charlie Biggs (not recommended, however, due to long line-ups), or purchase our weekly lunch program. Purchase of our lunch program can be done at our registration office (Room 003 – Healthy Living Centre) at either time of registration OR before 9:00 am on the first day of your camp week.

NOTE: Lunch programs are only available for purchase by week, not by day.

You can find a copy of our lunch program menu at: https://miniu.brandonu.ca/lunch-program-menu/

Where to Sign-Out (Departure):

Late Pick-Up:

  • ALL late pick-up campers (Juniors, Seniors and Specialty Camp) can be signed-out in the Henry Champ Gym between 5:01 PM and 5:30 PM. This is only for those that have purchased our Late Pick-Up option.

Regular Pick-Up:

  • Juniors (AM-only) will be picked up in the BU “Down Under” – Charley Biggs restaurant (refer to the above campus map) from 12:00 PM and 12:15 PM. (Except for July 2; see above)
  • Juniors (PM-only and full-day) will be picked up on the south half of the HLC gym (Healthy Living Centre) between approximately 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
  • Senior Mini U and Specialty Camp campers will sign out in the Henry Champ Gym between approximately 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM.
  • Specialty Camps (AM-only) will be picked up in the BU “Down Under” – Charley Biggs restaurant (refer to the above campus map) from 12:00 PM and 12:15 PM.
  • ALWAYS make sure to sign-out your child with our sign-out staff before leaving. If you wish to give your child permission to sign out on their own, please contact our registration office. If you did not select whether or not your camper could sign him/herself out, they automatically CANNOT sign themselves out.

Friday Slideshow: We will host a slideshow at the end of every week of camp so you can see what our campers have been up to! The optional slideshow is held Friday’s at 4:00 pm in the Henry Champ Gym.

Waterpark Day (Juniors):
Weather permitting, every Friday afternoon is waterpark day for Junior Chipmunks, Turtles and Moose programs. Campers will have supervised play time at the Stanley Spray Park on 15th Street and Princess Ave. Please note that campers will still be brought back to the Henry Champ Gym for the end-of-day sign-out.

Lost and Found:
Our Lost and Found will be located in our Mini U registration office (Room 003, Healthy Living Centre).

Cancellation/Refund Policies:
Mini University reserves the right to cancel individual courses, specialty camps, or programs due to a lack of registrations, funding and/or staff.

If a Junior program or specialty camp is cancelled, each participant will be notified by phone and any fees paid for that camp or program will be refunded in full.

In the event that a Senior Mini U course is full or cancelled, participants will be placed in either their second, third, or fourth choice classes.

Refunds, minus a $15.00+GST administration fee per child, per week, will be given up to 10 days prior to the start of the camp being cancelled. A doctor’s certificate must be presented for refunds at any later date within 30 days of the cancellation date.

Supply Donations/Recyclable Materials:
If you happen to have any a) old Halloween costumes (for ages 4-15), or b) any curling irons, hair brushes, other hair tools and styling products, or any unused makeup that you would be willing to donate, we will gladly sanitize and use them for Mini U.

We are also requesting donations of recyclable materials for other courses. Specifically:

  • Pop Bottles (any size)
  • Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
  • Cardboard and cardboard boxes
  • Kleenex boxes
  • Newspapers
  • Yogurt cups and large yogurt containers
  • Plastic containers
  • Soup cans
  • Coffee cans
  • Plastic Folgers coffee containers
  • Tin bottle caps (ex. Snapple, Juice jars)
  • Small glass jars
  • Aluminum pie plates

If you are able to donate any of these items to Mini University, please drop them off in the Mini U registration office (Room 003 in the Healthy Living Centre). Our office hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday (closed on July 1 and Aug 1).

(Thank you!)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q: Do I have to pay the lunch program fee for supervision purposes, like I do with school?
A: No, the lunch program is only for meals. Supervision over the lunch time is covered for full-day students as part of your registration fee.

Q: My child is sick for the day or will be missing camp for a period of time (e.g. medical appointment). Who do I call?
A: Please call or leave a message ASAP at our registration office at 204-727-7311.

Picking Your Child Up Early / Contacting Your Child During Camp
If you need to pick your child up early, or have an emergency and need to contact your child during the camp, please call our registration office at 204-727-7311. From there, we can contact your child’s individual instructor and make any needed arrangements for pick-up.
During class time, all pick-ups will be made at the Mini U registration office.

Contact Information:
Mini U Registration Office (Room 003, Healthy Living Centre – Downstairs): 204-727-7311

E-MAIL
Mini U Registration Office (Samantha Baker): miniu@brandonu.ca
Program Coordinator (Ivah Gallagher): miniu@brandonu.ca
Director (Nancy Stanley): stanley@brandonu.ca

WEBSITE
https://miniu.brandonu.ca

QUESTIONS?
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 204-727-7311, or by e-mail at miniu@brandonu.ca.