Special Camp Starts Online Social Programming During Stay-at-Home Mandate

Special Camp has launched a new program during social distancing, inviting campers and counselors to come together for joyous interactions with one another.

 

The groundbreaking St. Margaret’s program for children and teens with disabilities centers around a day camp experience in the summer that brings in more than 220 campers. With the unusual social circumstances of the time, the program started meetings in March using the online platform Zoom to bring together campers and counselors for the chance to socialize and hang out.

 

“We are aware that social distancing can often lead to feelings of isolation. In an effort to combat this and bring the joy of summer camp to this time at home, we have put together online programming for our camper and counselor participants,” said Special Camp executive director Lindsay Eres, who organized the program with staff member Katie McCombs.

 

The meetings consist of multiple Zoom “dance parties” each week in addition to Zoom chats for counselors and campers to get together.

 

Several St. Margaret’s students have been involved in the new remote community-building events. Upper School students Kennedy Barlow, Leila Sapra and Taylor Nock have been leading some of the meetings and several underclassmen have regularly attended them as well.

 

“We will continue this through the stay-at-home mandate, but its immediate success has shown us that we could continue this throughout the academic year in the future,” Mrs. Eres said.