College of the Ozarks hosts 31st Camp Lookout for area youth

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — Camp Lookout, a community outreach program hosted by College of the Ozarks, will return for its 31^st year of offering a free summer camp to children in Stone and Taney Counties. The theme for Camp Lookout this year is "Fueled," rooted in Hebrews 12:28, a verse which highlights the importance of serving the kingdom of God.

Camp Lookout is hosted on the College of the Ozarks campus at the campgrounds, complete with an activities field, housing, and playgrounds. For the summer of 2025, 10 sessions of camp will be offered from June 2 – Aug. 7. With approximately 50 campers, ages 8-12, from Stone and Taney County able to participate in Camp Lookout activities each week, there will be plenty of spots available for summer 2025.

In designing this program, the College desires to provide a Christian camp experience for children with financial need.

Lori Simmons serves as the College of the Ozarks Christian ministries community service coordinator and administrator of Camp Lookout. Caden Peterson, College of the Ozarks student activities director and director of Camp Lookout, is working his third summer at Camp Lookout. Together, they oversee the camp, planning activities, training the counselors, and implementing the guidelines for all activities. Training for the counselors included team-building activities, safety training, developing the teaching materials, and preparing the campground for the campers.

“Our hope for summer 2025 is to continue to point campers to the unconditional love that Jesus Christ provides all of us,” Peterson said. “The world should not fuel us, but we should be grateful to be fueled by the ‘kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,’ as Hebrews 12:28 states. We will have the most fun while sharing the love of Christ with all our campers.”

Campers participate in a variety of activities while spending the week at camp, including community service, water days, and swimming. Additionally, the campers enjoy a visit to Silver Dollar City once a week to enjoy the rides and sights. To celebrate the theme "Fueled," evening worship sessions and devotions will be integrated into the daily camp schedule.

“Camp Lookout is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for children from all walks of life to come together, have fun, and experience the love of Jesus in a meaningful way,” Simmons said. “Our campers not only enjoy summer adventures — like visiting Silver Dollar City and learning from college student leaders who live out their faith — but they also have the unique chance to impact other children around the world through Operation Christmas Child. Packing shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, and the gospel message is consistently one of the highlights for our campers. It’s a beautiful reminder that even at a young age, they can make a difference. We are excited to welcome a new group of campers this summer and watch how God moves in their lives."

All activities at Camp Lookout will be guided and supervised by a team of 40 counselors who will rotate shifts to spend time with the kids either in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Counselors will be students at College of the Ozarks who have a passion for helping children and a love for Christ.

For additional information, contact Public Relations Director Valorie Coleman at (417) 690-2212.

About College of the Ozarks

College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian, liberal arts college, located in Point Lookout, Missouri, on a 1,000-acre campus. Christian values, hard work, and fiscal responsibility comprise the fundamental building blocks of the “Hard Work U.” experience. The College earns numerous accolades yearly, including No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility-Regional Colleges in the Midwest and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025 and No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly, 2024. To achieve its vision, the College pursues academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals. These goals are mirrored in School of the Ozarks, a laboratory school that completes the K-college model.

The Keeter Center — the College’s award-winning lodge, restaurant, and conference facility — earns awards consistently, including the TripAdvisor Best of the Best Award 2024 and the Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 from ConventionSouth magazine. The Keeter Center features historic lodging, fine dining, and meeting rooms. With more than 350 student workers, it is the largest workstation on campus.