Emerald Cove Outdoor Science Institute - Running Springs, California

riri

the instructors were way kinder than how everyone describes them, it's hard to sleep due to the hard beds but other than that it was good. hiking didn't feel safe but it was safe since they came prepared the instructors weren't mean and were actually really nice. sometimes they can be jokingly mean but if you don't tell them they won't know ur not comfortable. my instructor was very kind and i miss her she was very nice. but the instructors aren't mean they joke around sometimes yeah, that doesn't necessarily make them mean. the food is good and overall it was nice and fun. when hiking there are 2 instructors which makes me feel safer it is quite expensive for what u get but it is fun

mona

so fun and the food was yummers! i was in a cabin with all my good friends (besides one girl but she got the boot on the second day for being RACIST and HURTING US) anyways, our instructor was avi and she was very kind. my friends and i miss her and wish her the best. the trails were fun and easy to catch up (besides wind walker but no one was behind the instructor in the back and wind walker was optional and fun.) the only things i disliked was the rice on wednesday, because they put too much water and it was mushy, and also how creaky the beds were. they were still comfy tho, room was heated, and i got full night sleep every day! lastly, it was very beautiful and snowed. also, people complained about being cold in the other reviews, but they maybe underdressed? idk. my favorite part was building shelters with my cabin, line dance, and also skit night, where we prepared skits and performed them in front of everyone. overall fun and memorable experience. would relive 100%. (avi if ur reading this u slay and we miss u! i will try writing to u 🙂 and p.s, british people and the metric system isnt real and roberto is correct. SLAY BADDIES)

GameVaughn 2

Food poisoning was a giant concern and problem among me and many other students. Food was unsafe and meat was raw and the taste of everything was either undercooked or downright bad. Many instructors were disrespectful and mean to the children and for some reason got mad at children who were praying. Children with severe altitude sickness were not open to call their parents or get picked up early. Not educational at all like they said they were and were overall the worst outdoor experience we’ve ever had.

David Mc Donald

My students loved their time at the ECOS Institute's Outdoor Science Camp. They loved the night hikes, where they practiced using different senses and also made up stories about the constellations. Another favorite academic hike was the wildlife activity in which they got to hold a chinchilla and a few snakes. 🙂

The food was stellar. Orange chicken, pizza, and penne alfredo were among the favorite dinner meals, and my students all agreed that the breakfasts were the best.

My students thought the counselors were great at being fun while maintaining behavior standards. Songs, stories, and lots of positive energy helped my students have a great week away from home.

Most of my students agreed that the best part of the whole week was the line dancing on the last night of camp. They loved how the counselors dressed up in silly costumes to dance around the room, and had a blast burning off whatever energy they had left at the end of the week with music and dancing.

The candlelight ceremony on the last night made the whole week feel like a special rite of passage for my students. They felt a deeper connection to the adults in the room as the counselors and teachers shared inspirational quotes with the children, passing on knowledge and wisdom to the next generation.

Overall, my experience with the ECOS Institute was very positive. There was clear communication during the registration process, and they made it easy for the teachers to provide a great learning experience for their students.

Colin Furlong

I went a few days ago with my school and the place was a bit fun but the workers were really mean and the food was so bad. A lot of kids got homesick and food poisoning and I felt really bad for them but the workers didn’t care at all. Also kids were drawing crosses on the floor because we are Catholic and one worker rubbed it off and said “I don’t believe in that stuff” and the same worker that did that was telling stories of how she was homeless and had to go dumpster diving for food which ruined people’s appetite. I will never go again , I don’t like it there

dogg1fy

Hi, genuine experience and no bias at all. I went here from january 29th to february 2nd. The food was quite nice and my instructor David/Deebo was the nicest person i had ever met. One thing was wrong. In the middle of the night some kids in my cabin told me there was something on my bed, watching me. I feel genuinely uneasy writing this. People who left early saw tall dark figures in the forest and it was extremely scary. The place was nice it’s just not a nice area… This is 100% real. Everything else was amazing and fun,

Jill Johnson

As an educator who has been to multiple OSS camps, Ecos is top notch. Staff and instructors treat students well, the food is good, and the science instruction is on point for 5th graders.

AMIII

I went to ECOS for a field trip in my school that was for the older kids. We didn’t have to pay because the district payed for us and I was relived because it would have been about $300!! (I recommend to not pay for your kids to go) I thought it was going to be really fun. But it ended being a nightmare. It was so cold I got really sick and had to go to the doctor. I had the hardest time sleeping because of how uncomfortable the beds are. The activities were kind of fun. The person that takes care of us was adri. She is so nice. The food was pretty good. The walks… let’s talk about the walks we had to take. We had to walk about 3 miles! Outside the campus I got really tired and almost passed out. We barely got any breaks while walking those 3 miles. It was pretty much a traumatic experience. Although I also want to talk about Amanda. She is one of the people that took care of the cabin next to us. (a.k.a the other class) Amanda talked SOO BAD about Adri. Amanda said that Adri was so irresponsible. And some other stuff. (I kinda forgot cause I went there a couple years ago). Alright, the bathrooms. The shower was good but someone had to hold the curtain of the shower. Out of all I would give this place 3/5 many things were amazing. Thank you ECOS ?