Camp Staff Help Children with Disabilities Have The Summer of a Lifetime
June 8, 2011
Summer camp is a special time for all children, but it might have just a little more meaning for children who are struggling with a disability.
Camp Celebrate in North Carolina is a camp that focuses on such children, offering a weekend of fun for children who have suffered burns. According to the News Sun, the camp is organized by the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center to help children who have been badly burned regain confidence.
“Camp Celebrate is a celebration of human spirit and collaboration,” Bruce Cairns, director of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals told the news source.
According to the news source, many children at the camp were embarrassed by their burns, but when they saw other children with similar afflictions swimming and running around in shorts, they couldn’t help but join in the fun.
The camp is approaching its 30th year of operation and many who once attended as children, come back as adults to work as counselors. On example is Blake Tedder, who calls the camp his favorite weekend of the year.
There are a number of other camps around the country that cater to children who have other special needs and one of them is TERI Inc.’s annual Surf Camp in California.
TERI is a non-profit organization that provides services for children with developmental disabilities. The surfing camp was started a few years ago and has been a big success, reports the North County Times.
Luc Chord, a 14-year-old with autism, attended the event this year and said that he had a great time.
“It’s pretty awesome,” he told the news source. “I stood up on the board five times.”
These types of camps are special, and they require well-trained counselors. Bringing in counselors with more diverse backgrounds can often be a good choice for these camps. For example, international counselors may be well positioned for such roles as they can help these children, who may be introverted because of their situations, gain confidence by seeing and differences in other people as well as find bonds with people that are similar to themselves. Children can also look to these international counselors for inspiration, as these staffers are also excited about being in a new environment while also learning to adjust to different situations.
Those who hire international camp staff through a cultural exchange organization can ensure that they bring in counselors that are well-trained and have been evaluated for their fit for working with all types of children. Organizations such as InterExchange Camp USA work with camps across America, including special needs camps for disabled or disadvantaged children. Camp directors can be confident knowing that the international counselors they hire through InterExchange have previous experience or motivation for working with such groups of children in their home countries and are thoroughly screened and interviewed before being placed at these camps.
