Summit Camp & Travel – Summer

Every camp must strive to ensure the health, safety and happiness of each and every child while meeting his/her basic need for acceptance, recognition and respect.

For our campers, these goals are met through a program of therapeutic recreation. Summit is the setting in which recreational, social, and educational activities have as a primary goal the establishment and reinforcement of feelings of success, confidence, enthusiasm, and self-worth.

The achievement of these goals requires that the activities presented be in harmony with the capabilities of the child, so that success is attainable. Our program is structured so that the campers receive regular instruction in the widest possible variety of recreational skills and are able to judge and appreciate their own progress. At the same time, our program is flexible and challenging so that each child pursues areas of individual interest.

Our goals are attained when a youngster is properly placed within a compatible group of children and staff. Through individual guidance and the maintenance of realistic and consistent expectations, we tenderly nurture every opportunity for self-understanding, social development, the creation of friendships, and for the improvement of interpersonal living skills.

 

Social skills are consistently addressed, finding their structure and format in our Tribes program (which is similar to an immersion social skills workshop). These weekly sessions, or more frequently if needed, are designed to increase our campers’ skill set in peer relationships. Ideas and directions planted here enable our campers to become better friends and, in some instances, take on some leadership roles among their bunkmates. Through guided activities, many of which are hands on, we encourage our campers to increase their social cognition and awareness to become better equipped to interact.

 

This is accomplished by developing the social skill of "reciprocity" and helping children to listen more attentively, to process the language and conversation, which can further develop more pragmatic language and interaction. Campers are taught to understand their inner workings (self-reflection, thinking first/responding afterwards) and gradually move beyond themselves to better understand the world around them, their community and the larger society.