We’re A Midwest Camp!

As we approach the start of another camp season, we’ve been reflecting on what an exciting year this has been for us. Opening a second location of Camp Akeela has certainly been a lot of work, but it’s truly a labor of love. It is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling to be a part of our Vermont campers’ lives – and seeing the impact Akeela has on them and their families. The addition of Camp Akeela in Wisconsin means that we get to share the Akeela experience with even more children and teenagers.

One of our favorite parts of this past year is getting more familiar with the Midwest. Our year-round team consists of East and West Coasters (Debbie is from Philadelphia, Eric is from New York, Dave is from Vermont and Kevin is from California.) When we started Camp Akeela in 2007, we were already very familiar with New England: its camps, schools and population centers. Our first and most important task was to immerse ourselves in the Northeast’s communities of Asperger’s, NVLD, learning differences, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Now that we’re offering a shorter-session camp in Wisconsin, we are doing much of the same relationship building throughout the region, including Chicago and Detroit, Columbus and Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Madison, Minneapolis and St. Paul, and St. Louis. In addition to meeting many wonderful families, we’ve also gotten to know psychologists, educators, therapy providers, social skills groups leaders and other professionals. We love nothing more than connecting with like-minded people who adore “quirky” kids as much as we do!

This week is a particularly busy and fun-filled one for us. Dave Baker, one of our Midwest on-site directors, is currently attending the Autism Society of Wisconsin’s annual conference. If you’ll be in the Dells this week, please stop by to say hi to Dave at the conference exhibit hall! At the same time, Catricia Morris (a veteran counselor at our Vermont camp who will be helping to pioneer our Wisconsin location this summer) is attending the 22nd Annual Minnesota Autism Conference in Minneapolis. She will be in the exhibitor hall there and invites everyone at the conference to come meet her! Both Dave and Catricia are excited to see Temple Grandin, as she is a keynote speaker at both conferences.

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 29, Dave will also be hosting a Camp Akeela information session in Glencoe, Illinois. This is a chance for folks on the North Shore and elsewhere in the Chicago area to learn more about our camp. If you have a child or teenager who could benefit from expert social skills coaching in a fun, traditional camp environment, we invite you to attend this info-session. It’s low-key event at which campers and their parents can see lots of photos of Akeela, get a sense for a typical day at camp, and meet a director. For more information or details about how to join Dave on the North Shore on Saturday, please contact us at info@campakeela.com.


Winter 2017 Newsletter

The Winter 2017 edition of our newsletter, The Camp Akeela Circular, is here! Check it out for advice about how to prepare for camp, an introduction to our program heads and Akeela Vermont’s new head chef, updates on Akeela in Wisconsin, wedding news, lists of returning campers and staff, and the latest alumni profile!

Here is a note from Debbie and Eric, featured on the newsletter’s first page:

This newsletter represents an exciting “first” for Camp Akeela because it’s the first to be distributed to members of our TWO camp communities: Akeela in Vermont and Akeela in Wisconsin. In many ways, we will be two separate camps this summer. As you look through this newsletter, you’ll find some distinctions between our Vermont and Wisconsin locations. The dates differ; some of the facilities and program news apply to one site or the other; the camper and staff updates now include the abbreviations VT or WI. Most importantly, both Akeela locations (and in fact each session at both sites) will be its own rich, vibrant community. Regardless of where or when campers attend, they will feel a deep sense of belonging and kinship with their fellow campers and our amazing staff.

As excited as we are about replicating the magic of Akeela in an entirely new part of the country, we’re equally aware of the ways in which we’re all part of the same camp family. This phenomenon was evident last month at our third annual Winter Weekend Reunion. Because the weekend combined campers from the two different Akeela Vermont sessions, not everyone knew one another before the reunion. We could imagine a weekend that felt like two separate groups sharing the same space. In reality, however, it was amazing how quickly they came together into one unit. With a baseline shared experience of knowing what it’s like to have spent time at Camp Akeela, new friendships were forged almost instantly. A year from now, when we have campers and families who have experienced Akeela both at different times and in different states, we are confident that we will all feel equally connected.

Read the complete Winter 2017 Newsletter here!


Autism Spectrum Camp Staff: Part 1

Autism Spectrum Camp Directors:

When we tell people that we’re summer camp directors, one of the most common responses is to ask us, “What do you do the rest of the year?” They often have a hard time believing that our 7-week summer camp translates into a more-than-full-time job for 5 of us! Blayne and his team work at camp to maintain and upgrade our beautiful camp facilities. Each year, he has at least one large construction project (e.g. new camper cabins, the Lodge, the camp office). And a variety of smaller maintenance tasks that keep them very busy!

Aspergers Camp Directors high standards & Planning

Meanwhile, Debbie, Eric, Kevin and Dave work in an office just outside Philadelphia. Together, we make sure that every summer at Akeela is the best it can be. That includes hiring the most incredible summer camp staff in the country – no small task given the size of our staff (over 100) and our extremely high standards (many inquiries and interviews for each available position). We also work hard to ensure that every camper who attends Akeela is a great fit. To that end, we spend many hours getting to know all prospective campers and their families. This include speaking with three non family members for each applicant. Of course, there is also a lot of planning that goes into the camp program. In contrast from the traditional camp activities to trips and special events. This year, program planning is even more intense as we’re launching Camp Akeela in Wisconsin and totally revamping Beyond Akeela!

ASD Summer Camp educator on our mission

Another large component of our off-season time is dedicated to professional development. Camp directors are first and foremost educators and child development specialists. We’re also HR directors, supervisors and leaders who get to train and inspire staff members to profoundly change lives of the children. Moreover, we manage complex operations on large properties with food service, water supplies, environmental responsibilities and a host of other factors. The more we learn and share in these areas, the better we can be at delivering our mission. Which is to provide our campers with the most incredible, life-changing summer experience on the planet. For that reason, all of us are actively engaged in attending, volunteering and even presenting at educational conferences organized by the American Camp Association (ACA).

Camp Akeela as a part of Camp Group

In addition to our involvement in the ACA, we are very fortunate to work closely with approximately fifteen other sets of camp directors. Most of these camps are in the Northeast: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. A few are in the Midwest: Camp Akeela in Wisconsin and Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods Camps in Michigan. Together, we make up a family of camps called CampGroup. As an organization, we share core values of human development, excellence, building community and industry leadership. That manifests in a number of ways, including regular gatherings to support each others’ camps and share best practices.

Be sure to check back next week for part 2


Asperger’s Family Camp

Asperger's Family CampWe recently had the chance to attend the Center for Autism Research (CAR) conference called “Stepping into Adolescence” in Philadelphia. CAR is a leader in autism research in the greater Philadelphia area, and is affiliated with the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. The conference was available to both parents of children on the autism spectrum and professionals in the community. It focused on children as they become adolescents, and how a child with autism’s experience with this transition differs from their typically developing peers. It was a great opportunity to connect with families of children on the spectrum and other professionals in our community.

One of our takeaways from the conference was how important it is for parents of children with autism to connect and share with each other. The challenges each family faces can feel isolating. When you’re able to develop a support network of people who are facing similar challenges, the feeling of isolation is mitigated. The resources the conference provided for families and the knowledge sharing amongst parents were phenomenal. With the increase in autism awareness nationwide, more and more universities and other organizations are doing research and providing resources for families. We have attended larger conferences in the Boston, New York, and New Jersey areas that seek to accomplish the same goals.

Asperger’s Family Camp Vermont

At Akeela, our Asperger’s Family Camp offers a chance for children and adults to connect with each other and share their best practices and experiences with each other. The results have been so powerful and moving. Some families are returning in August for their fifth summer of Akeela Asperger’s Family Camp!

We highly encourage everyone to seek out these opportunities to grow their own support network within the autism and Asperger’s communities!

Here are links to some of the great organizations we’ve connected with in various communities in the Northeast.

Boston and New England: AANE (www.aane.org)
New York area: AHANY (www.ahany.org)
New Jersey: ASPEN (www.aspennj.org)
Philadelphia: CAR (www.centerforautismresearch.org) and ASCEND (www.ascendgroup.org)


NY Area Info-Session 12/7/14

If you live in the New York area and would like to learn more about Camp Akeela, we invite you to join us at our upcoming information session:

  • Sunday, December 7 in Fort Lee, NJ

This is a casual event in which we show lots of photos of camp, talk about a typical daily schedule, and answer parents’ & children’s questions.

Please call Debbie at 866-680-4744 or email info at campakeela dot com for details.


Winter Weekend & Parent Retreat: January 9-11

We are thrilled to announce two new and exciting winter program offerings. Both events will take place in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts on the weekend of January 9 – 11, 2015. Akeela campers in grades 6 – 11 are invited to join us for a weekend of reuniting with camp friends, indoor and outdoor games, and Akeela spirit. Campers will stay and play at the Winadu Lodge at Camp Winadu in Pittsfield, MA. Meanwhile, we have organized a retreat for parents at the luxurious Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, MA.

Learn more here:

Winter Weekend

Parent Retreat


Fall 2014 Newsletter

The latest Camp Akeela Circular is ready for your reading pleasure. It announces several exciting changes being planned for Summer 2015, a collection of Summer 2014 photos, and some big news about upcoming Akeela Winter Weekends!

Click Here to Read the Newsletter


Winter 2014 Newsletter

newsletter_screenshotHot off the presses: the most recent edition of The Akeela Circular, our camp newsletter. This edition includes a note from Debbie and Eric about how new experiences can be difficult but also help us grow and enjoy life more. That segues into a piece about how campers can start preparing now for a great summer at camp. We’ve also included a variety of previews for Summer 2014: exciting facility upgrades, lists of returning campers and staff, and quick profiles of many Senior Staff members. That’s not all, so check it out!

February 2014 Akeela Circular


Upcoming Info-Sessions

We invite you to join us at one of our upcoming information sessions:

  • Saturday, January 25 in White Plains, NY
  • Saturday, February 1 in Dedham, MA

These are casual events in which we meet families who are interested in learning more about Camp Akeela. We show lots of photos of camp, talk about a typical daily schedule, and answer parent’s & children’s questions.

Please call Debbie at 866-680-4744 or email info at campakeela dot com for details.