School's Out, Camp's In, Fun's On: Resources for Finding the Perfect Summer Camp

So, what are you going to do this summer? Let's review your options. On TV there's re-runs. There's more time for chores, housework and--if your school meets year-round--dreaded homework. You've got all the time in the world for swimming, playing and hanging out with your buddies but your personal chauffeurs (whom you know as Mom & Dad) will be at work.

Sounds...lame, doesn't it? So why not spend the summer at a totally awesome Summer Camp? Sure it's a chance. You're going to have to sleep in a strange bed, eat strange food, and when you first arrive, you'll meet all kinds of strangers. Big kids. Short kids. Serious kids. Goofy kids. And maybe a kid or two just like you who will become your life-long best buddies.

So, is it worth it? You bet it is. There are Summer Camps completely dedicated to doing the types of things you love to do. There are camps for kids who want to go horseback riding. Camps for swimming. Camps for crafts. Adventure camps. There's even a camp where you can learn what it's like to be an astronaut (talk about far-out!)

So how do you find the kind of camp where you would want to spend your Summer? The following resources will guide you. Follow the web-links. Call for information. Email for applications. Ask your parents for help. The vast majority of these camps are set-up for kids who are blind or have visual impairments, so there'll be no surprises -- except the origin of the mystery meat the camp cook is serving up for dinner!

General Resources

Your search for the perfect Summer Camp starts here. These organizations and associations can help you narrow your Summer Camp search by geographical region and interests.

• American Camping Association: http://search.acacamps.org/
  The ACA has a comprehensive database of Summer Camps for Kids. Follow the link to Search ACA's Camp Database and then provide the specific geographic, age, interest and need data to help narrow your search of available Summer Camps.

• National Camps for Blind Children: http://www.christianrecord.org/
  National Camps for Blind Children®/Adults (USA) (www.christianrecord.org ) and National Camps for the Blind® (Canada) (www.crsblindservices.ca) are affiliated with Christian Record Services. This project began in 1967 with a single camp at Kulaqua in High Springs, Florida and has grown to 28 camps at various locations across the United States and Canada. These camps are free to blind and legally blind campers.The NCBC website maintains a lengthy list of camps from all regions of the United States. Here is a sampling of camps on the NCBC list:
  1. Sea Camp I & II
     
  2. YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado
     
  3. Horsemanship Camp, Ohio

• The Family Village Center: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/Leisure/camps.html
  The Family Village Center website has a detailed list of camps for kids with special needs. The site's directory includes all geograhic regions and allows you to narrow your search for camps according to your own unique interests. From the site's home page, follow the link to Recreation & Leisure and then choose Camps from the list of topic-links.

• LionNet International: http://www.lionnet.com/
  LionNet International is the Internet presence for Lions Club International. Their site has a link to Lions Clubs by country and state. Within the state-by-state listings, you'll find links to and information about Lions Club-sponsored recreational opportunities and summer camps.

• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/camps.htm
  Always a wonderful site for current information, TSBVI has posted a thorough listing of summer camps for kids in the Lone Star State.

Special Focus Camps

li>Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS): http://www.tsbvi.edu/space/
Space Camp is a unique opportunity for blind and visually impaired children to experience life aboard a simulated space station. The camp, located at the US Space and Rocket Center in Hunstville, Alabama, gives campers the opportunity to practice their leadership and teamwork abilities as they prepare for two Space Shuttle missions. While preparing for a "role" (Shuttle Pilot, Communications Officer in Mission Control, Space Station Scientist, and many others), students learn about the history of manned space flight, shuttle and space station basics, and water survival. Simultaneously, they experience lunar gravity (1/6 Earth gravity), the 5DF (degrees of freedom) chair, and the Zero G wall. The students participate in building a lunar colony. They also build and fly their own rocket!

The camp is for kids in grades 4 through 12. In 2001, the cost for a five-day Space Camp session is $540.00.

Contact: Dan Oates - W. Va. School for the Blind
Address: 301 E. Main St., Romney, WV 26757
Phone: (304) 822-4883
Email: scivis@raven-villages.net


1. Courage Camps: http://www.couragecamps.org/
   For teens interested in sports, look into the Courage Camps "sports camp" program. Sports camp is a week-long program for adolescents and teens ages 12-17. Campers work with coaches and top disabled athletes to develop their skills in their favorite sports. Camp Courage has an indoor gymnasium, swimming pool, paved trails, tennis courts, and archery and rifle ranges. The core sports offered atsports camp are wheelchair basketball, swimming, sailing, horsemanship, tennis, floor hockey, fishing, and blind sports. Other sports such as water skiing, golf and marksmanship may also be available if facilities and staffing permit. Week-long Sports Camp.

   Contact: Courage Camps
   Address: 3915 Golden Valley Road, Golden Valley, MN 55422
   Telephone: (763)520-0504
   Fax: (763)520-0577
   E-mail: camping@courage.org
   

2. Camp Bloomfield: http://www.juniorblind.org
   Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains of Malibu, Calif., Camp Bloomfield offers various week-long camp sessions for children and teens who are blind, visually impaired or multi-disabled, and their families. Campers participate in fun and challenging adaptive activities, such as horseback riding, swimming, archery, climbing walls and high ropes course. Camp Bloomfield has provided tens of thousands of children with a safe and supportive environment to build self-esteem, increase independence and experience the joys of childhood. For more information, contact Frank Cardenas, Director of Recreation, at 323-295-4555 extension 261.