 Special
Camp for Special Kids offers
an exciting,
once-in-a-lifetime summer day
camp experience to youth with
disabilities between the ages
of 6 and 21. The one-to-one
camper-to-counselor ratio
provides a unique educational
and recreational setting.
Campers venture with their
counselors through a variety
of activities which seek to
enhance the camper's learning
abilities, communication
style, emotional well-being,
social development, and
sensory characteristics. Since
its founding in 1992, Special
Camp has had two primary
objectives:
- to
increase the self-esteem
of children and teens with
disabilities by providing
positive and caring
relationships with peer
counselors and the
opportunity to participate
in recreational and
educational activities;
and,
- to
eliminate the stigma
associated with the
disabled community by
providing an educational
and service opportunity
for both the campers and
the counselors.
A
general overview of the
program and camp activities
can be found here.
The
pace of Special Camp can be
quite tiring. One day might
include bus travel of up to
two hours and a five hour
period at an amusement park.
The staff is more than willing
to explain more about the camp
and its pace; if you are
concerned that your child
might have difficulties with
the pace of the camp, please
do not hesitate to speak to
our staff. However, ALL
activities are designed for
the entire camp regardless of
a child's disability.
The
camp has a fully qualified and
trained registered nursing
staff, head by Patty Canright,
R.N. The nursing
staff is always with the camp,
whether we are on-site at St.
Margaret's or out in the
community, and they attend to
the all of the nursing needs
of the camp. The safety and
well-being of our participants
and staff is our primary
concern.
Each
camp session hosts 45 campers
who have wide range of
disabilities. About 15-20% of
our campers use wheelchairs .
A majority of the campers have
Down Syndrome, Autism,
Cerebral Palsy, or are
developmentally delayed, but all are
welcome.
Special
Camp utilizes the camper
application to learn vital
information about the
applicant and their
disabilities. A copy of the
application is given to the
camper's counselor about a
month in advance of their
session. The counselor then
uses the information to
determine the best means to
assure that the camper gets
the most out of their Special
Camp experience. If we are
concerned about the camper's
placement in Special Camp, you
will be contacted by Kristin
Friedersdorf, Camper Coordinator, to
arrange a house visit.
Space is limited. Thus,
families are strongly
encouraged to complete an
application immediately and
return it to Special Camp. The
program offers a priority
deadline each year. The
priority deadline allows our
staff to begin camp
preparations and aids our
enrollment process. Applicants
can still apply after the
priority deadline on a
first-come, first-served
basis. If there is not a
session available at the time
an applicant submits an
application, they will be
notified and placed on the
waiting list. Often families'
summer plans change, which
allows applicants on the
waiting list to be enrolled.
Special Camp makes every
effort to place campers in
their preferred session as
indicated on the application.
Applications for campers are
available
here.
 
The camper tuition fee is $250
per session. The fees help to
underwrite the cost of meals,
transportation, and activities
of the camp.
Need-based
camper tuition scholarships
are available. Special Camp
receives generous support from
corporations, foundations, and
individuals that help to
underwrite camp costs and
provide tuition assistance.
Approximately 25 percent of
our applicants each year
request tuition assistance. It
is a goal of Special Camp to
accommodate our families'
financial needs, and
thankfully, in our 10-year
history we have been able to
provide financial support to
those families requesting such
need. If you have any
questions or concerns
regarding tuition assistance,
please do not hesitate to
contact Lindsay Stump,
Executive Director.
Kristin
Friedersdorf
is a seven-year veteran of
Special Camp for Special Kids
and a student at Whittier
College. Kristin works very closely with
each camper and their family
throughout the application
process and camp sessions.
Special Camp is very aware
that the summer camp
experience and particularly
Special Camp might be a new
and different setting for a
camper and their family. Our
staff strives
to ease the stress and
concerns that commonly arise
from a new setting. Kristin's
role is to serve as an
advocate, liaison, and friend
to the campers and their
families. If you have any
questions about Being a
Camper at Special Camp for
Special Kids, please do not
hesitate to contact Kristin
Friedersdorf.
Special
Camp for Special Kids is open
to persons of all races,
religions, ethnic, and
economic backgrounds with the
limitations to providing such
opportunities being the
following:
- The
camp is capable of
ensuring an equally safe
atmosphere for all
participants.
- Those
the camp finds to be
"medically
fragile" may not be
accommodated.
- The
camp's financial and
physical capacity allows
for campers and counselors
to be admitted to the
program.
Applicants
to the program must
demonstrate the following:
- An
ability to participate in
camp activities,
- An
ability to interact with
others in the camp.
Careful emphasis is
concentrated on the
camper's ability to work
and interact with their
counselor,
- An
ability to attend camp
with minimal specialized
care which shall not
interfere with camp
operations,
- The
camper will be six years
of age by the commencement
of the camp sessions and
displays a mental
capability of a three year
old.
All
applications are reviewed by
the Executive Director and
Nursing Director of Special
Camp for Special Kids prior to
acceptance. The Executive Director and Nursing Director
reserve the right to decline
an applicant admittance to the
program for the above stated
terms and conditions. |
