Special Needs Summer Camps
Camp Lion's Den | Camp Hope | Camp Sertoma | Camp Sunshine
Camp Chatterbox | Camp Communicate | Camp To Be Independent
Courage Camps | Victory Junction
Summer Camps in SC
Camp Burnt Gin
Date: June 19-24 and July 22-27
Where: Wedgefield, SC (Sumter County)
Cost: No charge
Participants: Children 7-15 years of age who have a physical disability and/or chronic illness.
Description: Camp Burnt Gin is a residential summer camping program. Activities include arts and crafts, nature study, drama, dance, sports, games, swimming and boating. All activities are adapted so that every child can participate. CBG offers children who have special needs the chance to meet new friends, learn recreational skills, improve their self esteem and independence.
Camp Burnt Gin is accredited by the American Camp Association.
Contact:For more information contact the Camp Director, Marie Aimone (803-898-0455 or aimonemi@dhec.sc.gov) or go to the camp's website: www.scdhec.gov/campburntgin
Camp Spearhead
Date: Various 5 day camps running from June – August 2009
Where: Taylors, SC
Cost: $280/week – Greenville County residents; $345/week – residents of other counties
Participants: Ages 8 years old & up; Children & adults with disabilities; Camp Spearhead reserves the right to determine eligibility of potential campers. Eligibility is determined through application forms and, if necessary, through interviews with potential camper and parent, guardian, or caregiver.
Description: Camp Spearhead, founded in 1968 and located in the foothills of upstate SC, is a residential special needs camp for children (8 and up) and adults with special needs. Each summer Spearhead serves nearly 600 campers over the course of the eight week season. During the school-year Spearhead offers continued social and recreational opportunities through the popular Weekend Program.
Pattison’s Academy Summer Day Camp
Date: TBD, 5-6 weeks in June & July; 9:00am – 3:00pm
Where: Charleston, SC
Cost: $150 Weekly. Costs include snacks, field trips, crafts and therapy services (as long as therapists are able to bill Medicaid or private insurance.) (Pattison’s has never turned a child away because of a family’s inability to pay, additional funding resources may be available)
Participants: Children ages 1-15 years old who have multiple and\or severe disabilities (Physical impairments, visual, hearing, cognitive impairments).
Description: Pattison's Academy Summer Camp provides therapy, enrichment and FUN for the children and a nice break for the care givers of these children. For 2008, we had over 60 applications and served 44 children over the course of 6 weeks. One 3 week session was held at Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church and the other 3 week session was held at Bethany United Methodist in Summerville.
Contact: http://www.pattisonsacademy.org/Summer_Camp09.html or 843-849-6707
Camp Lion's Den
Date: TBD
Where: Clemson, SC
Cost: N/A
Participants: Children with visual impairments
Description: Serving the visually handicapped children of South Carolina, this program is sponsored by the Mid-Day Lions Club of Anderson, SC and the South Carolina Lions, Inc. Any child with a visual impairment between the ages of 7 and 17 may attend. Because of the dedication and support of SC Lions Clubs, there is no fee for attendance.
Contact: cuolcamps-L@clemson.edu
Camp Hope
Date: TBD
Where: Clemson, SC
Cost: N/A
Participants: Individuals with developmental disabilities
Description: Jaycee Camp Hope is a statewide residential camp for mentally challenged citizens. Its purposes are to give the camper helpful experiences in an outdoor environment, develop the ability to work and play as a group, and provide new experiences unique to a camp setting. The SC Junior Chamber of Commerce has provided financial support for every camper attending Jaycee Camp Hope since 1969. Individuals participating in Camp Hope are ages 8 and older. Campers are grouped according to age, level of functioning, and previous camp and social experience.
Camp Sertoma
Date: TBD
Where: Clemson, SC
Cost: N/A
Participants: Ages 7 – 13 years old who are underprivileged or have speech/hearing impairments
Description: Sponsored by the Sertoma clubs of South Carolina, this program serves children between the ages of 7-13 who are either underprivileged or who have speech/hearing impairments. The program offers opportunities for fun, skills development and education in an outdoor environment. Because of the support of Sertoma Clubs across the state, there is no fee to attend. Children are placed in groups with seven other children according to age and previous camp experience.
Contact: www.campsertomasc.com
Camp Sunshine
Date: TBD
Where: Clemson, SC
Cost: N/A
Participants: Children & adults who have severe & profound special needs
Description: This weekend camp programs serves children and adults who have severe and profound special needs. Designed to provide a respite to the caregivers and families, participants also benefit from the program designed to offer fun and fellowship. Camp Sunshine is funded through the Sunshine Lady Foundation and is offered six weekends throughout the fall and spring. Campers enjoy pontoon boat rides, archery, crafts, campfire programs, hayrides and many other special events throughout the weekend. Clemson University students and former summer staff members serve as counselors for the program.
Summer Camps outside of South Carolina
Camp Chatterbox
Date: June 21 to 27, 2009
Where: Stillwater, NJ
Cost: The cost of attending Camp Chatterbox is $850 for a child and parent. This includes a $550 Therapy fee and a $300 Camp fee. (A significant portion of the actual camp cost for each family is subsidized by grant funding or other forms of charitable contributions.) Additional family members may attend Camp for an added fee.
Participants: Ages 5-15; Access Augmentative & Alternative Communication Device Independently with ~ 85% accuracy
Description: Camp Chatterbox, founded by Joan Bruno in 1992, is an intensive therapy camp for children, ages 5 -15, who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and a training program for their parents. It is sponsored by the Children's Specialized Hospital in Mountainside, NJ.
Contact: http://www.campchatterbox.org
Victory Junction
Date: June 14 - August 16 for the Summer with weekends in the Fall
Where: Randleman, NC
Participants: Children between 6 and 16 with a diagnosis in accordance with one of the many accepted conditions. The camp also has a page with eligibility requirements.
Description: Victory Junction enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. Located in Randleman, NC, Victory Junction is built upon 84 beautiful acres donated by Richard and Lynda Petty. Themed around NASCAR racing, the camp is echoes the sights, sounds, and feel of a real racetrack.
Contact: The camp's Contact page has a number of different e-mail addresses parents can use, each addressing a different concern. There is also a toll-free number: 877-VJG-CAMP
Camp Communicate
Date: Friday, August 28 – Sunday August 30, 2009
Where: Rome, ME
Cost: $375. This fee includes the programming, meals and accommodations for one camper and one parent/caregiver. For information on additional caregiver costs – please see the website.
Participants: Ages 8-25; use a high tech communication device; be accompanied by a caregiver
Description: Camp Communicate is an innovative weekend designed specifically for non-verbal children who use computerized devices, known as augmentative communication, to communicate. Each camper attends Camp Communicate along with a parent/caregiver. Parents will have the opportunity to attend workshops and share information and strategies in a supportive environment. Learning opportunities for parents will support more effective augmentative communication device use at home and will foster more proficient use in school.
Contact: http://www.pinetreesociety.org/camp_communicate.asp
Camp To Be Independent
Date: Five days during July
Where: Rutledge, GA
Cost: Free
Participants: Children and adults ages 8 – 21 with traumatic brain injury. The camp usually hosts between 35 and 40 kids.
Description: Camp TBI offers parents/caregivers a respite while their children enjoy the fully accessible facilities at Camp Twin Lakes. Children will enjoy fishing, archery, arts and crafts, a zip line, bicycling, swimming, dancing, karaoke and talent nights in the care of counselors provided by the Medical College of Georgia Occupational Therapy School.
Contact: Judie Thompson at jthompson@wrh.org or (706) 533-8076 for more information.
Courage Camps
Date: Various in June & July
Where: Maple Lake, MN
Cost: Varies; Some $40; Camp offers scholarships for campers who need financial assistance. Qualified applicants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants: Varies depending on camp; See website for more information
Description: There are a very large variety of camps for people with disabilities organized by the Courage Camps. Below are only a couple of them. Please visit the website for a wealth of camps provided. Since 1955, Courage Camps offer safe, accessible, natural environments where children and adults with physical disabilities, sensory and language impairments, and other disabilities or illnesses discover abilities they never knew they had or they thought they had lost. Campers make new friends, and are often introduced to sports or hobbies they develop further at home or at school.
Contact: http://couragecamps.org/
- Literacy Camp
This unique session is for struggling readers (all disabilities), ages 12-18, who would like a positive literacy experience. Educators under the direction of Dr. David Koppenhaver and Dr. Karen Erickson, national literacy experts, will be working with campers to determine literacy needs and intervention strategies to begin to address those needs. Informal descriptive reports of the assessments and interventions will be provided to families and campers to take back to their home schools. Campers will also have the opportunity to participate in the full range of fun camp activities. Because video of this session will be used for teaching purposes, a signed media release is a condition for acceptance for this session. Campers must be ambulatory and independent with self-care. For specific information about this session, contact Barb Wollak at bawollak@gmail.com
- Augmentative Alternative Communication Camp
This session is for teens, ages 12-19, who use synthesized speech devices. This session is not designed for beginning AAC users, but for those users who need to learn more about the capabilities of their device and the importance of communication. Campers participate in all the fun camp activities, such as horseback riding and tubing behind a boat. Device use is encouraged before, during, and after each activity, (except in the water!) Special night programs are designed to further encourage device use. During intake, camp pages and vocabulary as well as camp songs are loaded into each camper's device. Campers are able to meet other teens who use AAC devices as well as interact with a proficient AAC mentor. The session culminates in the production of an AAC play for family and friends. Our goal is to have campers learn the "power of communication" while having fun.
Webinar
Using Boardmaker Software Family to Get Ready and Extend Learning into the Summer
Date & Time: May 12, 2009; 12:00pm – 12:45pm
Cost: Free
Description: It’s that time of year again when the weather begins to change and summer begins jumping into the minds of educators and students. Spring fever has arrived!
Attend this class to stimulate new ideas on how to incorporate Boardmaker Software Family into your lessons and take home extensions for the summer months. Inspire parents and students to continue learning through the summer. Begin dialogue with students to increase expressive language, vocabulary and reading skills with upcoming summer topics. Clear the cobwebs and stagnant ideas from your mind, think outside the box with this class and see the sun shine again!
Registration: http://www.dynavoxtech.com/training/online/details.aspx?id=603
Links
To search for more special needs camps, you can try this site:
Very Special Camps - http://www.veryspecialcamps.com/