College of the Ozarks hosts Camp Lookout for area youth

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

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks Camp Lookout returned for its 31^st year, offering free summer camp to children in surrounding counties. This summer’s theme, “Fueled,” was designed to remind the campers that only Jesus can truly sustain us.

“The Camp Lookout theme 'Fueled' comes from Hebrews 12:28,” said Caden Peterson, College of the Ozarks director of student engagement and Camp Lookout director, said. “The verse shows us that Jesus is Unshakeable, Jesus is Worthy, and Jesus is Awesome. We are not to be filled with or fueled by the things of this world but be fueled by Jesus.”

Camp Lookout is hosted on the College of the Ozarks campus campground, complete with an activities field, housing, and playgrounds. For the summer of 2025, 10 sessions of camp were offered from June 2 – Aug. 7. Approximately 50 campers each week, ages 8-12, from Stone and Taney County participated in Camp Lookout activities each week.

Campers participated in a variety of activities while spending the week at camp, including community service, water days, and swimming. Additionally, the campers spent a day at Silver Dollar City to enjoy the rides and sights. To celebrate the theme, “Fueled,” evening worship sessions and devotions were also integrated into the daily camp schedule.

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

“One of my favorite part of being a Camp Lookout counselor is cabin devotional time,” said Emily Winters, junior elementary education major, who worked at camp for the first time this summer. “It is so exciting and rewarding to get to share God’s word with the campers and see their faces light up with interest and questions about Jesus.”

Lori Simmons serves as the College of the Ozarks Christian ministries community service coordinator and administrator of Camp Lookout. Peterson is working his third summer at the camp. They oversee the camp, planning activities, training the counselors, and implementing 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.

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 2023 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.