Community Connections: February 2005 Newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator February - March 2005

In this Issue:

The theme of this month's issue is Ideas for Summer Fun. Although summer is still a few months away, now is the time to start planning for your child's summer activities. If you are interested in day, overnight, inclusive or specific disability camps, you will find resources in this newsletter to help you get started. Have a great summer adventure!

	Tip Sheet: Packing Checklist for Travel, Camping and Hiking
	Check out this tip sheet for information on planning for travel, camping and hiking. Click on the link below for the entire tip sheet. This will help you ensure that your child has all of the needed essentials for a fun camping experience. http://www.saferchild.org/list.htm
	Article: How to Choose a Summer Camp
	This article provides valuable information on questions to ask when searching for the right camp for a child with a disability. It will help families discuss what's important in choosing a camp and how to determine what camp is a good match. To view the entire article, click on the following link: http://www.summercamp.org/guidance/pamphlet.html
	Spotlights of the Month:
	Camp Invention This week long camp provides an inclusive setting for children with and without disabilities to participate in fun activities in the areas of math, arts, science and history. To learn more about this camp, click on the following link: http://www.invent.org/camp_invention/2_1_0_camp.asp
	Recommended Websites:
	National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/genresc/camps.htm
	Maryland Camp Information http://wmoore.net/therapy.html
	Summer Camps for Children with Disabilities http://www.summercamp.org
	Washington Parent: Summer Camp Guide 2005 http://www.washingtonparent.com/guides/guide-camp.htm
	LINC's Summer Arts Camp http://www.linc.org/TextOnly/projects_text.html
	Department of Recreation and Parks in Howard County http://co.ho.md.us/rap/rap_seasonalactivities.htm
	Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George's Country http://www.pgparks.com
	The Arc of Prince Georges County http://www.thearcofpgc.org
	Spotlight a Welcoming Business:
	Community Connections would like to “Spotlight” businesses who are welcoming to children with disabilities and their families. If you would like to spotlight a business, please click on this link and we will post it free of charge on our website. Thank you.

Packing Checklist for Travel, Camping and Hiking

Whether you are sending your child on a camping adventure or the whole family will be out enjoying nature together, the checklists provided in this tip sheet are essential. You will find information on tips for packing including first aid items, clothing, toiletries, eating items and much more. If you want to get a jump-start on getting ready for camp, click on the entire tip sheet below: http://www.saferchild.org/list.htm

Article: How To Choose A Summer Camp

Choosing a summer camp can be a fun yet overwhelming venture. There are many questions that you and your child should ask yourselves before deciding which camp is just right. Whether you are considering a day camp or sleep-away camp, this article will give you suggestions on how to research what will be a good match for your child. Determining what your child wants, finding out the size of the camp and locating programs of interest are also discussed. This is a very interactive article so get out the pen and paper, call a family meeting and begin planning for your child's wonderful summer experience. To view the entire article click on the following link:
http://www.summercamp.org/guidance/pamphlet.html

Spotlights of the Month!

Camp Invention
Is your child really into science, math or history? If so, Camp Invention is just right for them. Camp Invention has a week long camp in an inclusive environment, which is ideal for children with disabilities who can bring a buddy or be paired with a typical peer. This camp is offered throughout Maryland with locations in such cities as Ellicott City, Hyattsville, Westminster, Fort Washington, and more. This camp will help youngsters in the second to sixth grades explore with their imaginations to create and invent numerous projects. To learn more about this camp: http://www.invent.org/camp_invention/2_1_0_camp.asp

Recommended Websites

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities - this website has an excellent resource including directories of local and national camps.
http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/genresc/camps.htm

Maryland Camp Information - if you are looking for camps in the Maryland area this website is for you.
http://wmoore.net/therapy.html

Summer Camps for Children with Disabilities- this resource provides information on camps geared toward including children with specific disabilities.
http://www.summercamp.org

Washington Parent: Summer Camp Guide 2005- locate hundreds of summer camp listings on this resources, with a special section devoted to finding camps for children with disabilities.
http://www.washingtonparent.com/guides/guide-camp.htm

LINC's Summer Arts Camp- find out information on this inclusive computer based camp for children ages 7-14.
http://www.linc.org/TextOnly/projects_text.html

Department of Recreation and Parks in Howard County- this website includes the summer camp guide for the Howard County Area. You may also contact the administration office at (410) 313-4700.
http://co.ho.md.us/rap/rap_seasonalactivities.htm

Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George's County- provides day camps for children with and without disabilities. Therapeutic programs are also available. Contact MNCPPC at (301) 699-2480.
http://www.pgparks.com

The Arc of Prince Georges County - provides a summer resource guide. For further information contact Zaylimar Bocanegra at (301) 925-7050.
http://www.thearcofpgc.org

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Disclaimer
Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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