Winter 2009 – 2010 marked the beginning of Summit Camp’s year round outreach to the Summit Community. We began with events focusing on the Summit Campers from the metro New York area. We are excited to announce an expanded Weekender format that will include eight weekends for campers in the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas for the 2010 – 2011 academic year. Three weekends will be shortly added for Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Baltimore as well.

Our weekenders have an opportunity to spend time with buddies from Camp, meet new friends and be involved in a youth group like experience. Held at a winterized camp in northern New Jersey, some of our activities have even been firsts for all – in November we picked apples, made cider and learned how to mountain board (like snow boarding – but on grass with boards that have very large wheels). In January we went snow shoe hiking, snow tubing, and ice –fishing.

We also have a talent show each weekend – not quite ready for prime time – but lots of fun. No doubt the snow sports will continue for the winter weekenders in addition to crafts, hikes, and our very popular natural facials.

Coordinator Christine Tarbox, assistant Sally Bell, and their staff enjoy getting to know our kids and are impressed with their openness and high levels of interest and cooperation. “They have eagerly participated in our activities and are revealing more of their personalities each time we are together,” she shared. Christine and Sally and their staff enthusiastically look forward each month to being together with one another.

In addition to the activities we sense that our participants have enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and opportunity to be away among friends. In presenting the Weekender our hope was to provide some needed respite time for the young person and family alike – and we think we have reached that goal as well. At a recent weekend Hayley’s mom was seen quietly eating a piece of pizza while watching CNN – something she readily admitted rarely happens other times!

Summit Camp provides a summer sleep away camp experience for boys and girls, ages 7-17, who have issues of attention. These may include Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and/or ADHD), Asperger’s syndrome, awkward social skills, verbal or non-verbal learning disabilities (NVLD), and/or mild social or emotional concerns. Some of our campers may also have Tourette’s syndrome, O.C.D., and /or mild mood issues. Summit Travel works with older children, ages 15-19, who have similar issues. The Weekender program offers school year weekends designed to foster peer relationships and enhance social skills as well as a break for he participant and respite for their family.