Family Orientation
Join us for Family Orientation!
Usdan's Family Orientation is your chance to get a sneak peek at what awaits your young artist this summer! At Usdan's Family Orientation, you can...
- Meet Usdan's leadership team and your child's teachers or counselors.
- Walk your child's schedule.*
- Meet fellow students before the first day of camp.
- Get outfitted with Usdan merch at the official Usdan Store.
- Check musical instruments at the Instrument Check Building (for enrolled Music students).
- Drop off medications with the Health Office.
- Take part in our collective art project.
- Get pumped for an unforgettable summer!
You are welcome to bring food to enjoy at one of our picnic tables, but please do not order food to be delivered to Usdan. Please remember to bring your access pass!
*Students in Discovery and Rec Programs do not have specific schedules. Families in these programs will be invited to gather at the Discovery and Rec areas to meet counselors and other students.
Please plan to arrive between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Note, the gate closes to incoming attendees at 7:00 p.m. All students must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
PRE-ORIENTATION CHECK-LIST
- Download and print your family's access pass. Please place your access pass and place it on the dashboard of your car when you arrive on campus. Anyone without an access pass will not be permitted on campus.
- Email health forms to healthoffice@usdan.org. Health forms can be from your physicians office or you may complete the Usdan version available for download here.
- Submit your student photographs to studentphotos@usdan.org.
WHAT TO BRING
We recommend bringing the following with you to Orientation:
- A copy of your child's schedule. We recommend downloading it or taking a screenshot.
- Gently used cards and appropriate board games for students to use during their lunch time at camp.
- A picnic dinner. You are welcome to bring food to enjoy at one of our picnic tables. Please do not order food to be delivered to Usdan.
- Sunscreen
- Organic herbal insect repellent
- Reusable water bottle. You can refill your water bottle at the Welcome Center.
- Your camera! This is your chance to get all of the selfies before camp starts and our campus becomes device-free. Be sure to tag #usdan when you post.
GETTING HERE
We are located at 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY, 11798, which is accessible by car and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR). If driving, please be mindful of rush hour traffic. We will have a shuttle bus running to/from the Wyandanch LIRR station and Usdan; see schedule below. You may reserve your spot on the shuttle when you register for Family Orientation. If you miss the shuttle bus, please note that Uber and Lyft are available for pickup at the station.
Shuttle Buses Departing from Wyandanch Station
- 5:35 p.m.
- 6:05 p.m.
Once off the train, please proceed outside of 7-Eleven on the north side of the tracks.
Shuttle Buses Departing from Usdan
- 6:55 p.m.
- 7:20 p.m.
The shuttle buses departing Usdan will leave from the bus lot near the McKinley Amphitheater.
The shuttle bus times were chosen to align with arrivals from and departures to Penn Station (Manhattan), Atlantic Terminal (Brooklyn), and Jamaica (Queens)
Access passes and wristbands
Please remember to print out and display your family's access pass on your dashboard when entering Usdan. For safety purposes, anyone without an access pass will not be allowed to enter campus. Upon entering campus, each member of your party will receive a wristband. Please be prepared for some delays as we work through this new process to make sure our campus stays safe.
Help us meet our sustainability goals
In support of Usdan’s commitment to sustainability, we’re seeking gently used items to help reduce waste and minimize unnecessary purchasing. We will be accepting donations during Family Orientation to support our programs in an environmentally responsible way. If you are able to donate any of the items listed below, please bring them with you on Wednesday. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
- Games for U Time
- Cutlery & tablecloths for Backstage Lunches with Festival artists
- Art supplies for after-care
- Vinyl records and milk crates for Intro to DJ Basics and the History of Hip-Hop class
Usdan's 2025 collective art project
During Orientation, families will have the opportunity to contribute to this year’s collective art project! At this gathering, we want to honor multigenerational, familial love. Students and families are invited to create audio recordings that tell their stories of familial love. Families will also have the opportunity to contribute to our collective Butterfly Mobile.
