Ramapo in a Nutshell

If you haven't heard, I am spending my summer at a place called Camp Ramapo, located in Rhinebeck NY. This is a camp for kids with special needs. This includes a lot of kids on the Autism Spectrum, along with many other unique needs. Some are nonverbal, and some are all too verbal. Ages range from 4 years old to 20ish depending on functional level. Along with these kids, we have a second group of kids who are here because they have behavioral problems that need to be addressed and quite frankly because they have been kicked out of all the other camps. I work in a special area of camp called challenge. This means the counselors bring their kids to me every other day for a 1 or 2 hour block and I play games with them that are supposed to be team building and teaching them how to model appropriate behavior and then when they prove they can work together I take them into the low ropes course, from which they will graduate into high ropes. After each activity and ropes course I facilitate a debriefing/reflection session allowing the kids to look back and realize what they did well and how it helped them as a team and as an individual. Reflection time is where the magic happens!
The trick is planning games for the wide range of kids we have here at camp. I am in charge of doing recreational therapy for all 175-180 campers here at camp, as well as being assigned to a specific bunk to work more closely with. One period I might have the low functioning, nonverbal kids on the autism spectrum, then the next hour jump right into a group of teenage boys with behavioral problems. Those are about as different as you can get! Then after that a group of 4 year old campers might stroll in...Lets just say that each period is an experience of its own. There are only 8 counselors on the challenge team, out of the 200 counselors at camp. Needless to say, it's a big responsibility. But with responsibility comes great reward; challenge is a magical place where kids come together and dig deeper, finding greatness in themselves and in their bunk mates. Not going to lie, it isn't always peachy and grand, there are many times that I find myself wondering why in the world I am here and if i'm going to make it to the end of the summer. Those great moments, however, are enough to keep me pushing through.
When I am not working challenge, (which is in the morning, during each meal time, and in the evening) I am working with Mountain bunk 20. The kids are divided by age and then by the reason for being at camp, so basically if they are autistic or behavioral. The mountain bunks are comprised of boys age 11-14 with behavioral problems. A lot of them are from the inner city and are just really tough kids. They can be adorable, but there is no doubt why they have been sent to Camp Ramapo...sadly most of these boys have the worst language I have ever heard. Its a constant battle to get them to use words other than curse words and to talk about appropriate topics. In addition, they all think they are huge (most of them are not) and can take on the world in a fight. This results in them trying to fight each other all the time, meaning that I am breaking up fist fights whenever I am with them. They have been trying to start gang wars between the mountain bunks, which lead to even more fun for me. It's a good thing these kids are adorable or I might have a problem dealing with patience. The struggle is real. But so are the rewards.

A typical day:
7:45 am    at the bunk ready to wake up the campers
8:00 am    wake up time...get the campers up and dressed with teeth brushed.
8:30 am    breakfast! (meals are not a break, they are actually the most chaotic time of the day)
9:15 am    back to the bunk for clean up
10:15 am  freeplay (this means running dodgeball and guarding the entrances for the ropes courses for me)
11:15 am  challenge session with the kids.
12:15 pm  challenge session
1:15 pm    lunch
2:00 pm    challenge session
3:00 pm    challenge session
4:00 pm    challenge session
5:00 pm    rest hour with the bunk (keeping the kids "calm" and entertained before dinner)
6:00 pm    dinner
6:45 pm    planning time for the next days sessions
7:45 pm    with bunk preparing them for night time routine
8:30 pm    showers and brushing teeth and what not
10-11 pm  released for the night after the kids are all asleep

We also rotate through night duties, so some nights I am on duty until 12 making sure the kids are still in their bunks or keeping troubled kids entertained so the rest of the bunk can go to sleep.

Its hard to get pictures because I'm not allowed to have my phone on me during the day and the kids aren't allowed to see it, so that means no phone while the sun is up. I'll try to get some more pictures between sessions...

This is the path that takes me to work every day. Welcome to the entrance to high ropes

A few of the elements that way

The pamper pole. This one the climber climbs up the ladder and post to stand on that little platform with their partner. They each take a side and jump off the platform, trying to touch a ball that is suspended about 5 feet away in the air. SO much fun!

A few elements this way.