Report Offers Guidance for Camp Inclusion Coordinators
A new report offers resources, advice, and support for how best to serve young people with disabilities in Jewish camps.
Developed by the William Davidson Graduate School of Education of 91快播 and the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the report notes that an increasing number of camps are welcoming the participation of young people with disabilities. In addition, more camps are designating 鈥渋nclusion coordinators鈥� to oversee how camps serve these children.
For the study, called 鈥淚ncluding Campers with Disabilities,鈥� researchers chose a group of 15 fellows鈥攊nclusion coordinators from summer camps around the country鈥攖o spend two years sharing and discussing their experiences through monthly webinars, which often featured guest presenters. Each fellow also completed an on-site project.
The result is a rich compendium of stories from the field describing the challenges faced by inclusion coordinators and innovative ways to surmount them, even with limited resources. It also includes notes, summaries, and advice gleaned from the fellows鈥� monthly meetings.
In a series of 鈥減roject profiles,鈥� inclusion coordinators describe their work and what they鈥檝e learned through it. 鈥淎chieving successful inclusion programming comes from the top, with setting examples and letting your staff know what your vision is,鈥� says Jennifer Phillips, the director of recreation for Keshet, an organization that provides services for individuals with disabilities, and the inclusion coordinator for Camp Chi, a summer camp in Wisconsin.
Other inclusion coordinators describe projects such as creating a 鈥渟ensory area鈥� for campers with special sensory needs and creating an internship program for inclusion staff.
The report also includes core principles and values that helped guide the work of inclusion coordinators throughout the two years. 鈥淓very child has a place at camp,鈥� reads the first value. 鈥淚nclusion in any activity is a camper鈥檚 right,鈥� reads another.
鈥淲e learned so much from working directly with camp-based inclusion coordinators,鈥� said Dr. Jeffrey Kress, Dr. Bernard Heller chair in Jewish Education and director of research at the Leadership Commons of The William Davidson School and one of the leaders of the study. “This report is our way of highlighting and sharing the wisdom and expertise of the participants in this group.”
In addition to Dr. Kress, the study was led by Dr. Abigail Uhrman, assistant professor of Jewish Education at The William Davidson School, and Lisa Tobin, former director of inclusion initiatives of the Foundation of Jewish Camp.
To view the full report, email DavidsonResearch@jtsa.edu and to learn more about our research, visit www.jtsa.edu/jewish-research.
