WREN EXPLORERS LOTTERY
Wallowa Mountain Institute is committed to making the registration process for WREN Explorers less stressful for families and as equitable as possible. Due the high demand for this program, registration for the WREN Explorers summer day camp will no longer be on a first-come first-served basis. Instead, we will be using a lottery-based registration system, and lottery applicants will be selected randomly. By doing this, we are hoping to alleviate the stress of signing up, make it easier to register siblings, and make the process more accessible and equitable for all.
Starting on March 13th, you can register each child in your household for the WREN Explorers 2026 lottery.
The lottery will close on March 27th and applicants will be randomly selected after that.
This camp is for all incoming 2nd - 4th graders (by fall of 2026), and is completely free!
If you have multiple children in your household (in the case of siblings), you will register each child individually. This will not give you a higher chance of being selected as siblings will be assigned the same lottery number. If one sibling is selected, all children in your household will be selected to attend camp.
After the lottery closes, you will receive an email indicating if you have been selected or if you have been put on the waitlist. If you have been selected, your email will explain how to claim your spot by registering for camp.
Lottery Information
FAQ
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In past years, signing up for WREN Explorers has been on a first-come first-served basis, which worked when the program could meet the demands of the number of interested kids. But now, Explorers is at a point where the demand is beyond what our staff capacity can provide. We know that signing up for Explorers has been stressful and frustrating for parents the last few years, so we are making a change. No more hovering over your computer waiting for registration to open and filling out forms as fast as possible! This new system will allow families to register on a schedule that works best for them and make it easier for kids to attend with their siblings.
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Applications must be completed by 11:59 pm on March 27th. This gives you two weeks to register!
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You will submit an individual application for each child in your household. This will not give you a higher chance of being selected as siblings will be assigned the same lottery number. If one sibling is selected, all children in your household will be selected to attend the same week of camp.
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As much as we would love your child to have a friend at camp, spots are limited and we want as many kids as possible to have the opportunity to attend. Please only register the children in your household. You can always have the parent/guardian of your child’s friend register too and pick the same week as you. And remember, we work hard to create an inclusive and welcoming camp environment, so it’s likely your child will make new friends.
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Yes. In the past, we have offered this camp for incoming 2nd-5th graders. But now, due to the high demand for the program, and because of the broad range between second and fifth grade, we have decided to focus this camp in on early elementary students, taking 2nd-4th graders instead. But wait! We have opened up different opportunities for those incoming 5th graders. Check out the main WREN page to learn about our 5th grade Intro to WREN summer hiking program.
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Not at this time. The demand for Friday WREN, WREN Camping, and WREN Backpacking is not high enough for us to warrant a lottery system. Those programs will still be on a first come first serve basis.