Camp Apple never really slows down
Camp Apple operates for six weeks over the summer, but its organizers with Community Care Connections plan a few activities for its child campers throughout the year to help keep them in touch.
Camp Apple has operated for 40 years, and aims to be an inclusive camp, providing activities for children with disabilities as well as those with typical ability. Sarah Sauers, executive director of Camp Apple for the past 10 years, said she and the camp’s administrators want to keep the camp’s children engaged throughout the year, because its participants might not see one another during school time.
Sauers also said the camp in Connoquenessing Township becomes a mainstay summer activity for many of its participants, because of how impactful it is for almost every child who signs up.
“We do that because once we get them in and registered, we like to keep up with them to make sure their year is going well,” Sauers said. “They usually don't get discharged until they age out. Once they come in, they love it here.”
Camp Apple has a Valentine’s Day event coming up, as well as an activity for Easter that it will bring to its members.
Casey Bauer is a counselor at Camp Apple. She also has one child in its Camp Appleseed program and one in Camp Apple. She said she is happy the camp provides activities throughout the year, because it gives her children in the program a chance to see their camp friends at a time other than summer.
“Lots of friendships are made, and it's a nice environment to get everyone together,” Bauer said. “We do a whole bunch of stuff all year to keep it inclusive.”
“This is a major planning session right now,” according to Sauers. Even though the camp has a Valentine’s Day activity approaching, Sauers said planning visitors to the camps and trips for its children has to be done months ahead of time.
Camp Apple is for children ages 5 to 12, and runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting in June. Community Care Connections also hosts Teen Camp Apple, for people ages 13 to 21 that runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sauers said the camp started Camp Appleseed just a few years ago, which is for children ages 3 and 4, and runs from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for one week in June.
Because the camp aims to get children with and without disabilities to interact with one another, Sauers said its programs have to intentionally be made inclusive, which also takes some planning time over the summer.
“The kids come in, and all our activities are based on an inclusive checklist,” Sauers said. “They're all based off a scale. We look really into activities to make sure everybody can participate. While they participate, they can make friends.”
Bauer said her children, Noah, 6, and Tannen, 4, do not have disabilities, so she likes them to attend Camp Apple and Camp Appleseed, respectively, to get them together with children with disabilities.
“That's what I really loved and appreciated about my kids going to camp there and also working there is not to be afraid of someone with a disability,” Bauer said.
Because the children in Camp Apple are relatively young, and those in Camp Appleseed even younger, they don’t need much explanation on the camp or the other children participating, who may have abilities and challenges that differ from their own. Bauer commented that she notices children adapt relatively quickly and easily to interacting with children of different abilities.
“The kids actually adapt to the situation fairly easily, especially the younger ones, because they don't know any different,” Bauer said. “They pretty quickly learn everybody's strengths and weaknesses.”
Sauers said the activities, which are designed to be enjoyed by children of different abilities, are important for getting the children in the camps to interact with one another.
“We think that's really important because they both learn and grow,” Sauers said.
Sauers said Camp Apple is staffed by employees, not volunteers, whereas some other camps may take on young volunteers for help over the summer.
“Two of our counselors are special education teachers in the classroom as well,” Sauers said. “They are very qualified.”
The camp’s administrators plan activities, but it still offers some more independent playtime for children, where they are can partake in free play.
“It's really neat because the time just flies here,” Sauers said. “We have a really nice fenced-in area outside. It's huge, and kids can do what they want to do.”
Bauer said the speakers who come in also help emphasize the importance of cooperation between individuals by providing activities that children can help one another through.
“We have different speakers come in and do science experiments,” Bauer said. “We had a bike day last year where we set up a whole course and we have water days with hoses and buckets of water.”
The wait list to register children for Camp Apple is “a mile long,” according to Sauers. More information on Camp Apple is available on its website at communitycareconnect.org/children/camp-apple-programs.
