YouthCare is excited for its Summer 2008 Camp Season! In addition to our traditional camp activities, we will add some new opportunities. Based on feedback from parents, campers, and staff requesting more individualized activity choices, campers will get to sign up for Clubs that will be held throughout each week during camp hours. Clubs will be specialized activities for children from different camp groups (of similar ages) that campers will choose based on their interests and hobbies. Clubs may include Soccer, Tie-Dye, Plant Identification, and more! Details on specific Clubs will be available in the Spring, after children are enrolled in camp. Additionally, our older campers will have the chance to plan their own overnight event, while building their teamwork, organizational, and life skills.
View our new summer camp video:
Summer camp applications are accepted on a rolling admissions basis from December through June. PLEASE NOTE: Both the Charlestown and Hale Reservation sites are currently full. Applications are currently being accepted for waiting list only.
Please click on the links below to view more information
Founded in 1969, YouthCare offers a fun-filled seven-week therapeutic day camp for children entering 1st grade through age 14. Each camp day consists of recreational activities as well as therapeutic interventions. Camp is structured to support the development of children's social communication skills, group skills, and executive function skills while having a fun summer camp experience. All activities take place in small groups with a high staff to child ratio in order to provide children with individualized social coaching. We have two camp sites: Charlestown and Westwood, MA.
Summer Camp Schedule and Hours:
Wednesday, June 25 – Wednesday, August 13
(Closed Friday, July 4 and Friday, July 25)
Camp operates Mondays-Friday from 9am-2:30pm.
Because of the importance of consistency for our campers, we require that families make every effort to have their children attend each camp day.
Our campers are children entering 1st grade through age 15 who have the cognitive capacity for solid peer connections but who lack the skill set to form these connections. Typical diagnoses include Asperger's Syndrome, High Functioning Autism, PDD-NOS, and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities.Older teens may be eligible for our Transitions Program for Teens.
YouthCare Staff
Most groups consist of 6 children and 2 staff. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional level staff take part in intensive pre-camp and ongoing training. Onsite supervisors, program specialists, and consultants support children and staff. Camp is designed and supervised by YouthCare's year-round clinical staff. Scott McLeod, Ph.D., Executive Director and MGH Psychologist, oversees the program. Jennifer Harber, Ed.M., Program Director plans and manages YouthCare Summer Camp.
YouthCare Families
YouthCare is committed to working closely with families. We have regular contact with families using daily written feedback, weekly phone conversations, and a mid-summer conference.
Parent support and resource groups meet at various times throughout the camp session.
Teambuilding games and Ropes course, for older campers
When available, specialized programs such as music or science
Social Thinking Groups
Daily group meetings targeting social communication skills
Occassional field trips, late nights, and overnights
Social Coaching in Naturalistic Setting
Social Thinking Groups
Daily Social Skills/Pragmatics Instruction
Cognitive and Behavioral Approach
Individualized Instruction (for example, through Social Stories)
Developmental Approach
Collaborative/Team Focused
Problem Solving Skills
Strengths- and Interests-based Approaches
Whole child approach
Camp Structure
Children take part in most activities within their camp groups of approximately 6 campers, and overlap with other groups during some activities including swimming. In Summer 2008, each group of campers will be part of the Lower Camp, Middle Camp, or Upper Camp (based loosely on age) as well as the general camp community. The purpose of these designations is to provide a greater sense of community among children as well as overlap between groups based on campers’ ages and interests.
Lower Camp campers will attend Lower Camp Clubs, have weekly Music Therapy sessions, and will be eligible to stay on Late Nights. Late Nights involve staying at camp for after-camp swimming, boating, dinner cooked on the grill, and other outdoor activities until about 8:30pm.
Middle Camp campers will attend Middle Camp Clubs, have Environmental Education Activities, attend Adventure (which includes a ropes course), and be eligible for two Late Nights or Overnights during the summer. Late Nights involve staying at camp for after-camp swimming, boating, dinner cooked on the grill, and other outdoor activities until about 8:30pm; overnights include this and sleeping over in a tent and having breakfast at camp before starting the following camp day.
Upper Camp campers will attend and have the chance to co-lead Upper Camp Clubs, engage in Environmental Education Activities, attend Adventure (which includes a ropes course), and be eligible to stay at Late Nights or Overnights over the course of the summer. Additionally, Upper Camp campers will be responsible for helping to plan YouthCare’s overnight events, and have the chance for a special activity during the overnights. The purpose of having them plan the Overnights is to provide a forum for addressing life and organizational skills.
Application Procedure: Children and families may submit an application directly or can be referred by human service providers. Once application materials are received, applicants are scheduled for an interview.
Application Fee: A $25 non-refundable fee is required at time of application.
Application Deadline:YouthCare maintains a rolling admissions policy. We value continuity with children and families and tend to have a high return rate. As a consequence, acceptance decisions are based on the match between the profiles of new applicants and the profiles of returning campers in a particular group. Slots do fill quickly so it is recommended that applications be submitted early.
PLEASE NOTE: Both the Charlestown and Hale Reservation sites are currently full. Applications are currently being accepted for waiting list only. (updated 6/20/08).
Summer tuition:Summer 2008 tuition is $4,500.
Thanks to some grant funding, financial aid may be available for participants at our Charlestown site. We can discuss this in more detail with you at the intake interview.
Charlestown Site: This site combines a variety of indoor activities in our beautifully renovated new space at the Boys and Girls Club and outdoor activities in Charlestown, with twice-weekly visits to our Hale Reservation site for outdoor recreation and activities.
Department of Public Health: Our camps must comply with regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (105 CMR 430.000) and be licensed by the Boston Inspectional Services Division (for our Charlestown Site) and the Westwood Board of Health (for our Hale Site).
Contact Information
For additional information please contact:
YouthCare, 73 High Street, Charlestown, MA 02129
Telephone: (617) 726-0060
Fax: (617) 726-0064 mghyouthcare@partners.org
