How to Book Your Group

Reservation Information
Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll operates its day and residential environmental education programs from September through May of each school year. Our facility can accommodate up to 256 people in our cabins for a residential program.  We are currently accepting reservations for the current 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. The books typically open for reservations each August for the next school year (a year in advance). Camp Jekyll offers priority booking for schools and educators who have participated for 10 or more years with our GA 4-H Environmental Education Program as a way to say thank you:

• For educators/schools that have attended for 10 or more years, the reservation books for 2025-2026 will open on Monday, August 20th, 2024 at 8:00am. If you are unsure if you qualify for priority booking, please give us a call beforehand to confirm.
• For educators/schools that have attended for less than 10 years or have never attended a GA 4-H EE Program at GA 4-H Center, the reservation books for 2025-2026 will open on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 at 8:00am.

Please be sure sure to call as emails will be processed after all phone calls have been managed. Scheduling a field study involves many variables, and your choices may be limited by the availability of dates. Before you commit to a date, be sure to review the school calendar to consider your school’s dates for grade level events, sporting events, holidays, breaks, testing, teacher work days, and any other school functions.

What Month Is Best?

Below is a list of things to consider for each time of year. There is no way to predict the weather, and you should always be prepared to experience all that mother nature has to offer at any time.

Early Fall (September – October)

·         Weather is warm, but it’s still hurricane season and can be rainy.

·         The sand gnats aren’t usually biting, but the mosquitoes can be.

·         All classes are offered this time of year.

·         Students and teachers can bond early on, but fundraising needs to happen quickly.

·         Students are motivated and ready to learn.

·         Information can be a great preview for lessons all year long.

·         Doesn’t usually conflict with school/system/state testing.

Late Fall (November – December)

·         Weather can be cooler, layers are necessary to be comfortable in classes.

·         The mosquitoes aren’t usually biting, but the sand gnats can be.

·         The water and air temperature are too cool to offer seining and nets.

·         It’s darker earlier in the evenings which makes campfire and night walks extra fun!

·         Students are motivated and ready to learn, but also anxious for the holidays.

·         Doesn’t usually conflict with school/system/state testing.

Early Spring (January – March)

·         Weather is variable, so you have to come prepared for warm and cold.

·         Insects aren’t usually a problem (maybe sand gnats on a warm day)

·         It’s plenty dark for campfires and night walks.

·         Seining and nets is still not offered (air and water too cool).

·         Students and teachers are very comfortable with each other and know the routines.

·         Can be a nice break between winter holidays and spring break.

·         Doesn’t usually conflict with school/system/state testing.

Late Spring (April – May)

·         Weather is warmer (can be windy), and can even be hot!

·         Afternoon thunderstorms are a possibility.

·         Insects depend on temperature (sand gnats cooler, mosquitoes warmer)

·         Campfire and night walks are more difficult as it stays lighter later at night.

·         Seining and nets begins again sometime in April when water temps warm up.

·         Swimming becomes more of a temptation for students, but is not allowed!

·         Can conflict with school/system/state testing, be sure to check calendar.

·         Great end of the year field study!

Reservation Contact Information

Greg Kosik, Interim Program Coordinator
550 S. Beachview Drive,
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
Office Phone: (912) 635-4117
Fax: (912) 635-5019
Email: gkkosik@uga.edu
Office Hours: 8 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday (voice mail 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Contract, Deposit, & Incurred Cost

Your reservation is not confirmed until we receive your signed contract and a $300 deposit. Please try to reserve with the most accurate number possible. We ask for reservations to be total number of people (students and adults total). As changes in numbers are inevitable, adjustments in reservation numbers are accepted free of charge by the center as long as communicated before the date of your field study. There will be a $10 charge for each person reserved from your final attendance update that does not show (the balance of the programming fee will be refunded). Schools canceling within eight weeks without reasonable justification of their scheduled trip may be charged $25 for each reserved space.

Notes on Transportation

When arranging transportation to Camp Jekyll, use licensed commercial transportation or school buses. It may be necessary for schools to provide transportation to certain classes during the field study (details in “Class Listings” section). Camp Jekyll does not provide transportation to off-site teacher-led classes, such as Mini-Golf, Biking, Dolphin Boat Tour, Tidelands Nature Center, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, etc.  

We also strongly recommend that all groups bring at least one vehicle such as a personal car (not a bus) in case of minor emergencies and for personal convenience. We are located approximately 20 minutes from Brunswick, and minor injuries and/or illnesses that require a doctor may result in teachers being gone for several hours. Of course, any participant with life threatening emergencies can be transported to the nearest medical facility by a local ambulance/EMS dispatched from the Jekyll Island Fire Station.

Student/Adult Ratios & Instruction

The minimum student to adult ratio we request from schools is 13:1. The minimum number of participants required to create a dedicated program is 20 (this can be a combination of students and adults). The decision of how many adults and what mix of adults (school teachers, school/county administrators, school nurses, county extension employees, or parents) is your choice. But, please keep in mind, all individuals who come are considered “participants” and are charged the same (adults and students). We also require that all students and adults attend classes and that all adults are active in the supervision of the students. Additionally, each school is required to teach one scheduled day class and two scheduled evening classes (examples can include an evening campfire and a visit to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center or Eco Boat Trawl during the day. The remainder of your classes will be taught by Camp Jekyll Georgia 4-H full-time teaching staff.

Thank you!

The Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program at Camp Jekyll encompasses many aspects of the marine environment, is aligned with the most current Georgia state curriculum and standards, allows students to be active participants in the learning experience, and encourages teacher-student interactions in an atmosphere much different than the traditional classroom. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share this unique learning experience with your students. It requires a great deal of work to put the field study together, but when you see a child grasp a concept and enjoy learning, you’ll know it was all worthwhile. We are excited to work with you to plan your field study. After making your reservations, take time to visit the Trip Planner web page for more trip information such as the Qualtrics Trip Planner Survey to submit your trip planning details such as class selections. Please contact us so we can be of assistance to you throughout this process. We’ll see you at the beach!