Click the links below to view planning tips to make the HARP experience a success teachers, students and their parents.

Trip Preparation Check Off List
Reservation Procedures
General Session Information for Teachers
Guide to Student Assignments
Emergency Procedures
General Information for Parents & Students
Five Steps to a Fantastic Field Trip at HARP!

All Planning

Trip Preparation Check Off List

We recognize that getting your students here for our program involves months of planning and extra work on your part. Get some help making plans to come to HARP by delegating some of your work to teachers or chaperons. In this section, we've included a checklist of a few items that you will need to take care of before getting here. If you have questions, feel free to contact us.

• Choose the appropriate length program and the courses you wish to be taught in the program.
• Reserve your preferred dates.
• Make transportation arrangements.
• Plan a Parent Meeting about the trip.
• Collect money.
• Get a check cut for the 10% deposit.
• Send in the signed contract and deposit (deposit goes towards overall cost of program).
• Recruit chaperons.
• Designate an emergency contact person (who does not go on the trip, but who can contact us in an emergency).
• Collect paperwork (permission slips, cabin assignments, learning group assignments, etc.).
• Set up schedule with Education Director.
• Make requests for special services at the same time that you set up the schedule.
• Plan Chaperon Orientation Meeting.+
• Review rules with students.
• Review the 'General Information For Parents & Students' section of this Planner with your students.
• Assign students to Learning (8-15 students per group) and Cabin groups (8 students per cabin). Cabin groups are groups sleeping in the same cabin. Learning Groups are the groups assigned to the naturalist for the duration of their program. *
• Plan to have check cut for remainder of fees.
• Thirty days before departing, call us with the following information:
• Final attendance numbers for students
• Final attendance numbers for adults
• Estimated time of arrival

Reservation Procedures

Pick your program to determine your fees	Sessions typically extend from Monday at approximately 11:30am through Wednesday to approximately 9:30am, and from Wednesday at approximately 11:30am through Friday to approximately 9:30am. Weekend sessions are also available. We require attendance numbers to be listed on the form provided. Your total fee will be based on the numbers you provide on this form, so please fill it out accurately. Completion before arrival will facilitate quick and efficient registration.
Book in advance	Sessions are booked on a first-come, first-serve basis so make your reservations well in advance. One-year advance booking is available. Note: Our cabin capacity is 90 people.
Read, sign and return the contract & deposit	We will send out a contract to be signed and mailed back to HARP after you or your group's representative calls and requests to be placed on the reservations calendar. A 10% deposit is required. Note: Reservations are only confirmed after the signed contract and deposit is received in the office.
Write or email us if attendance numbers change	Additions to your reservation numbers may be possible. Call us close to the time of your trip to see if we can accommodate any students who are on your waiting list.
Cancellations	Your 10% deposit is not refundable in the event of cancellation.

General Session Information for Teachers

The following information is provided for teachers who are planning to bring a group to HARP. Some of these topics are mentioned again in the section for parents and students.

Class Schedules For Your Session	Approximately eight weeks before your trip to HARP, we will contact you to set up a schedule containing the courses you have chosen.
Student / Instructor Ratio	During a visit to HARP, students will be divided into learning groups of 8-15 students per group for their classes.
Enforcing HARP’s Rules, School Rules, Curfews & Lights Out	The 'General Information For Parents & Students' section has a list of rules we would like you to help us enforce while your students are here. In addition to our rules, you may want to impose a few others or remind students of rules specific to your school.
Parking Vehicles	Cars should be parked in parking areas only. Vehicles are not allowed on any of the grass areas located on the property.
Phone Usage	Students are not allowed to use telephones or place calls. Chaperons may either use their cell phones or the pay phones located on the site.
Cabin Cleaning	On the last day of the session, luggage should be taken out of the cabin and placed in the vehicles/buses. All students will clean their cabins before breakfast with cabin chaperons supervising. A HARP staff member will check the cabin for cleanliness and damages. Students must return to clean the cabin if it fails inspection.
Trash and Recycling	The grounds need to be kept clean during your school's visit. Please encourage students to recycle aluminum cans and plastic water bottles and to throw trash away. All trash should be picked up from the grounds and placed in trash cans or in the dumpster behind the dining hall.

Guide to Student Assignments

Learning Groups	We will calculate the number of Learning Groups a school will have. You are responsible for dividing students among the groups. Remember that the groups will be from 8-15 students. Please divide groups as evenly as possible (numbers and gender).
Cabin Assignments	Divide the students among the cabins provided for your group. Children and adults must be segregated by gender regardless of the age of the children. Be sure to put at least one chaperon in each cabin. There is room for 8 students and one adult per each cabin (total of 9). HARP will assign actual cabin numbers (names) to your groups and communicate these to you during orientation.

Emergency Procedures

First Aid	HARP does not provide a nurse on center during the session. Minor incidents can be treated with basic first aid supplies.
Supplies	We are only allowed to stock Ace bandages, band-aids, water, soap and ice packs. We are not authorized to stock or dispense other supplies or medications. We will help you obtain emergency medical treatment for students if necessary at our local hospital.
Medication	You should plan to accommodate youths who take medication. If a child is taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, it should be left with a teacher who will oversee its use. A refrigerator is available for medicinal use.
Permission Slips	Be sure to bring the proper paperwork with you to HARP when you come. Each student's authorization to be on the trip should have proper signatures and give you authority to make decisions if medical care is needed.
Insurance	HARP is not responsible for medical insurance for your group.
Transportation	So that you have immediate access to transportation in an emergency, we recommend that a teacher or chaperon drive a vehicle to HARP that you can use. If this is not feasible, a HARP staff member may drive a student to the hospital. While a HARP staff member may drive, a responsible chaperon or teacher must be present to take responsibility for a student who needs medical attention.
Notification	Please notify HARP staff if there is an emergency or a child is taken to the hospital while you are here.
Home Contact Person	It is wise to designate a school teacher who will not be on the trip, a school official or a parent as a Home Contact Person. Leave emergency contact information with this person. In the case of an extreme home emergency at night or in the day, your designee can contact HARP at: 336-342-6454.

General Information for Students and Parents

The following section is for all guests. We recommend that you share this information with your students and their parents as well as the chaperons planning to come with you. Some topics in other sections are duplicated here.

Please Note:

Label clothing and personal items.

Students are responsible for their own belongings. HARP and its staff are not responsible for items lost, stolen or left behind. Cabins will not be locked.

Do Not Forget Toiletries: Towels, washcloths, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and other toiletries are not provided.

Do Not Plan To Wear Flip-flops. For students, flip-flops and sandals are not allowed while walking around HARP! To prevent injury, you must wear shoes that will stay on your feet.

What To Pack	Pillow Sleeping Bag Towels & washcloths Toiletries (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.) Daily change of clothing (Some days you may need two or three) Old shirts & jeans Jacket or sweatshirt (for cool mornings and nights) Rain gear (classes continue regardless of the weather) Shoes for: Around HARP—Tennis shoes Trail hiking—Hiking boots or good tennis shoes Water wading—Old shoes (ones you would not mind throwing out if they get extremely dirty). 'Aqua Socks' are not acceptable as they do not provide proper protection. Showers—if you need them, flip-flops are only allowed while showering Sun block Plastic garbage bag (for wet clothes) Water bottle Camera (optional)
Rules For Students	Make sure you have NO items on the 'What not to bring list'. Listen when adults speak. A raised hand indicates that it is time to be quiet. Shoes must be worn at all times even if they are wet. No swimming without proper supervision. No throwing rocks. No pillow fights. No chewing gum/candy. Phones may not be used. Do not leave your money in the cabin. Do not enter a cabin other than the one you are assigned to. Do not harass the wildlife living alongside the stream. No food or drink in the cabins. Do not throw trash on the ground. Observe the curfew. Do not go off into the forest except during supervised class times. Follow any other rules set by the HARP staff.
What Not To Bring	Shaving cream Chewing gum Candy New or really nice clothes Cell Phones Large amounts of money Pets Personal items that have value Electronic equipment Flashlights Fishing equipment

Five Steps to a Fantastic Field Trip at HARP!

• 1. Before Calling HARP
  
  • Discuss program possibilities with school staff.
    Hint: What type of trip do you want your students to have? What do you want to get out of a field trip to HARP?
  • Discuss possible dates with school staff. Please choose 2-3 options as our calendar fills quickly.
    Hint: Remember to account for testing days, holidays, in-service days, and extracurricular activities.
  • Think about transportation.
    Hint: If using your school’s activity buses, be sure to double-check bus availability.
  • HARP runs programs from mid-August through mid-June. We book up to 1 year in advance. The Program typically runs Monday -- Friday. Weekend programs may be available.
  • HARP’s capacity is 160 students with 20 chaperones. Groups under 100 stay in our TREEHOUSE TRAIN. Larger groups stay in both the Treehouse Train and our COTTAGES.
  • For program costs and sample schedules, click Pricing on the menu to the left.
    Hint: Day trips are great, overnights are even better and 3-day/2-night CAN’T BE BEAT!
• 2. Contact HARP to receive your dates
  
  • Contact HARP at: harpdirector@yahoo.com or 336-342-6163.
  • Please have 2-3 possible dates picked out; estimated number of students and chaperones; and your school’s preferred contact information.
  • We’ll reserve your dates on our calendar and send you a Contract with required deposit information.
  • A HARP staff member will be available to discuss programming options.
  • New Teachers: We’ll send you an information packet to get you started.
• 3. After your field trip is reserved
  
  • Return signed contract with deposit. Deposits are 10% of the total account balance. Receipt of the deposit is what officially reserves your trip.
  • Arrange Transportation.
  • Devise fundraising strategy, if necessary.
    Hint: Bake sales, car washes, and walk-a-thons have worked in the past.
  • Hold student and parent meetings to go over trip details.
    Hint: Invite HARP staff! We’re happy to help!
  • Handout paperwork to Students, Parents, and additional Chaperones (Fees, Permission Slips, Health Forms, T-shirt Order Form).
  • Recruit Chaperones. You get 1 FREE Chaperone per every 10 students.
    Hint: Remember to get enough male and female chaperones for supervision in cabins.
  • Learning Groups: Divide students into learning groups of 10-15. Each group is paired with 1 HARP Instructor.
    Hint: Try to make groups as diverse as you can.
  • Cabin Groups: Divide students into cabin groups for sleeping. Each cabin sleeps 8 students and 1 adult. Each cottage sleeps 2-3 depending on group reservation.
  • Collect Money and Paperwork.
    Hint: Don’t forget to arrange activities for students unable to attend field trip.
  • Designate Emergency Contact Person who does not go on trip but is available to contact HARP and/or can be contacted during trip.
  • Review general visit information with your teachers and chaperones.
  • Review trip guidelines, packing list and your School’s expectations for the Field Trip with your students.
    Hint: Remind students to review our packing list and prepare to be outside!
  • Assign students to travel vehicles and make arrangements to collect all forms, medications.
• 4. Call HARP 30 Days Before Your Trip
  
  • This phone call is to finalize course selection and scheduling details. Please be ready to give us an updated head count. We’ll also discuss any medical needs, special food needs and cabin/learning group assignments.
  • This call also determines your final bill. Inside of 30 days, we can only adjust your numbers by 10% should it be necessary (Ex. Group of 60 can only go up or down by 6 participants).
  • Get check cut for remaining balance.
• 5. During Your Field Trip
  
  • Upon arrival, we’ll check in with you for any last minute updates. All you have to do is kick back and relax. Let us do the teaching and you can enjoy some quality time with your students.
  • Take lots of pictures!
  • Reserve your dates for next year to lock in this year’s rates!

N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation • 1615 MSC • Raleigh N.C. 27699-1615 (919) 733-4181