At Concordia Language Villages the safety and well-being of our villagers, staff and volunteers have always been our top priority. During our summer youth programs, each Village has a health center staffed by a dedicated healthcare team directed by our licensed healthcare providers. Health information is collected for each participant during the registration process. We look forward to partnering with you!
The Health and Wellness team supports a variety of programming at Concordia Language Villages including spring, summer and fall programs. Click the button below to learn more about our standards and practices including the following topics:
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have declared a national emergency in children’s mental health. We understand this and are committed to partnering with families in support of inclusivity and compassionate care. Click the button below to learn more about our MESH approach, including:
Contact our Health & Wellness team at health@cord.edu.
Instruct your villager to keep to paths and tell a counselor or Health staff about red, itchy patches of skin. Sensitive participants can be best prepared by knowing how to identify the plant, sitting upwind during campfire programs and possibly using a barrier cream (talk with your pharmacist) as a preventive measure. Villagers participating in overnight camping have greater risk of exposure.
Our mosquitos are especially active at dawn and dusk and when our weather is warm and wet. Send your child with 30% DEET bug spray and teach them how to use it beforehand. Cabin counseling staff remind villagers to use repellent and bug spray can be purchased at the Village store. Anti-itch, Calamine lotion is available during health center office hours.
Minnesota has both dog and deer ticks. Teach your villager to do a daily “tick check” including their hair and hairline, groin, auxiliary area, back and behind the ears and wear appropriate clothing when in tick-heavy areas. A tick that is crawling on a person poses no concern, but those attached to the skin should be removed. You may teach your child to remove ticks that attach, but it is our preference that villagers come to the Health Center to do so. Using an insect repellent with at least 30% DEET, a practice supported by the AAP, can minimize tick bites.
Deer ticks can potentially transmit Lyme disease. For any child who has an attached deer tick removed, health staff can administer a prophylactic antibiotic dose and will monitor for signs and symptoms of a tick-borne illness. Parents should know these symptoms may not appear for several weeks after exposure and should be prepared to monitor once their child returns home.
Raccoons, skunks, bats, squirrels, deer and other animals live in the Village environment. Talk with your villager about moving away from animals when inadvertently encountered and to avoid touching them. The Language Villages follows Minnesota Department of Health Recommendations related to rabies prophylaxis should an exposure to an animal occur.
Due to wildfire smoke, periodically we experience diminished air quality. During such events, we will reduce physical activities or may require more indoor time. However, note that we are by nature an outdoor-based program and our buildings are not air conditioned. o help protect your child, pack a small supply of well-fitting high-quality (N95 or KN95) masks.
Outdoor activities are prioritized. Ensure your villager brings protective clothing and is able and ready to apply sunscreen. At minimum, an SPF 30 product is recommended.
Northern Minnesota’s summer weather can be drizzly and cold or hot and muggy. Villagers should bring everything recommended on the packing list, including blankets and rain gear.
Pack a reusable water bottle and talk with your child about drinking enough fluids. Outdoor activities are generally quite active, so drinking enough is a constant challenge.
A lot of outdoor activity, different foods and access to a candy store means that villagers may experience fluctuation in their weight. Most often this ranges plus or minus five pounds during a two-week stay.
Some children don’t understand that it’s okay to ask for more food. Please talk with your villager and explain that counselors at his or her table will help get more food if anyone at the table is still hungry. Villagers simply need to ask.
All medication, with the exceptions of rescue inhalers and EpiPens, is collected on opening day and is kept in the Village Health Center. The Health Center staff distributes daily medication at routine times and maintains office hours during which medication is available. Anything an individual uses to maintain and/or improve their health is considered a medication at the Language Villages. In addition to prescription medications and over-the-counter medications, this includes — but is not limited to — vitamins, homeopathic remedies and topical ointments.
We expect children with chronic health concerns (i.e., asthma, allergies, diabetes) to be capable self-managers and to bring the supplies they need to manage their diagnosis. Because treatment modalities vary, our healthcare staff relies on villagers’ familiarity with and ability to do their own treatments. Our healthcare staff will provide general oversight but they partner with the villager to follow individual treatment plans.
Our healthcare staff ensures the health and safety of our villagers, providing basic healthcare services with care and compassion. Interested in putting your skills to work in the North Woods? Join our team!
Here are Frequently Asked Questions about Concordia Language Villages programs. If your question is not addressed here, please visit our FAQ page or contact us.
