SUMMER 2026 FAQs

Registration and Payment

Payment is due at the time of registration. Parents/guardians will receive an email confirmation along with a second reminder email one week before camp starts. Make sure to add programs@lighthousestudio.org to your address book so our emails don't go to your spam folder!

Waitlist

If your chosen workshop is full, we encourage you to join the waitlist. When a waitlist spot becomes available you will receive an automated email inviting you to complete your registration. This invitation will be open for 24 hours before being offered to the next student on the waitlist.

Tuition Assistance

Tuition Assistance is available on a first come, first served basis and is limited per workshop. Please fill out the tuition assistance form prior to enrolling in the workshop.  Our team will reach out after reviewing your application. 

Drop Off

Workshops take place at the Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 W. Market Street, or at the CCA Building located at 121 East Water Street. Please check your reminder confirmation email one week prior to the start date as workshops can sometimes shift between our Vinegar Hill Theatre and Water Street Studio.  

The Light House team will begin checking in students 15 minutes before the workshop start time and escort students into the building.

End of Day Release 

Elementary School Students must be signed out at the door by an approved adult. There is no exception to this rule. Signout happens at the end of each day including Fridays after screenings. All workshops are dismissed from VHT on Fridays.  

Middle School Students may be given permission to self dismiss at the end of the day. Students without self dismiss permission must be signed out at the door by an approved adult. 

High School Students are automatically given permission to self dismiss at the end of the day. Self dismissed students will be released at 3:00PM without waiting for an adult.

If you need to make different pick-up arrangements, please contact our Operations Director, Kristen Dillehunt, at kristen@lighthousestudio.org or call 434-293-6992.

Early Drop Off and Late Pick Up

Light House does not take responsibility for any child dropped off unattended and/or prior to 15 minutes before the start of the workshop. If a child is not picked up promptly after the workshop, you will be charged a late fee of $10 for every 5 minutes your child is left unattended. If you are delayed due to an emergency, please contact the Light House team at 434-293-6992.

Friday Film Screenings

Screenings are on the last day of the workshop and held at the Vinegar Hill Theatre, even for workshops held at our Water Street Studio. Students will be dismissed from Vinegar Hill Theatre when their screening ends. As during the rest of the week, students must be signed out by an approved adult unless they've been given self dismiss permission.

Elementary films will screen at 2:00 pm; middle school and high school films will screen at 2:30 pm. There is a brief intermission between screenings; feel free to join us for one or both parts.

Screenings last approximately 30-45 minutes and include free popcorn for filmmakers!  Other concessions will be available for purchase. 

Links to watch the finished films will be emailed to parents after the screening.

Visitors

Unscheduled visits to Light House Studio are not permitted. Anyone, including parents/guardians, will need to make prior arrangements with the Light House Team to schedule a visit.

Discipline Policy

The Light House team expects students to:

• Respect others, the equipment and the space

• Use computers for making films 

• Participate and communicate

• Give teachers and fellow students your attention and minimize distractions

If a disruption occurs, we first speak directly with the student. If the disruptive behavior continues, we will contact the parent/guardian. If the situation is not resolved, we will contact the parent/guardian, and the student will be dismissed from camp. No refund is issued in the event of a dismissal.

Snacks/Lunch 

All food and drinks are to be consumed only in designated areas. Light House students are encouraged to eat outside, except in times of inclement weather as determined by Light House staff.

Students enrolled in any of our elementary camps are required to bring their own lunches. Designated space along with a half hour supervised lunch will be provided every day.

Middle School students may take an unsupervised lunch break outside on the Charlottesville Downtown Pedestrian Mall with written parental/guardian permission. Students are not to leave the mall or cross major streets during this break. Students are encouraged to travel in groups.

High School students are all allowed to take an unsupervised lunch break outside on the Charlottesville Downtown Pedestrian Mall unless a parent specifies otherwise.

In the event that students cannot eat outside, students will eat in a designated area inside.

Cell Phone and Device Policy  

Cell phones are allowed for communication purposes during breaks only. Cell phone and device usage during class is not permitted unless it pertains to the film project.

Cancellation of Workshop by Light House Studio

Light House Studio reserves the right to cancel any program that does not meet sufficient enrollment. Participants will be given a choice of transfer to another workshop (if available) or receive a full refund. Parents/guardians will be notified in advance.

Cancellation Policy

We strive to keep a low student-to-teacher ratio and as a result, we begin planning as soon as your child enrolls.  We are offering the following cancellation and refund policy for Summer 2026:

• Cancellations made more than 90 days before the first day of the registered workshop will receive a refund, minus a $35 registration fee.

• Cancellations made between 90 - 30 days before the first day of the registered workshop will receive a 50% refund. 

• Cancellations made within 30 days of the first day of the registered workshop are non-refundable.

To cancel your enrollment please email programs@lighthousestudio.org.  

If you have extenuating circumstances beyond student or parent control, we will do our best to work with you and come up with a reasonable solution.

Cancellation Due to Illnesses

Light House does not offer workshop refunds due to being out sick with an illness. 

If your child is sick within the first 24 hours of a summer camp, we will try to offer another workshop opportunity. Unused tuition will be donated to our community programs and scholarships which provide resources to underprivileged families in our community who may not otherwise have a filmmaking opportunity.

Light House follows the City of Charlottesville School guidelines for returning to in person learning after being out due to illness.