About AEF Camps

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Introduction

AEF Camps does NOT admit campers who are aggressive, a danger to themselves or others, exhibit emotionally disturbed behaviors, need toileting assistance, or who require a restrictive or special needs environment.  

Children have many needs… love, understanding, a sense of belonging, and achievement.

Unfortunately, there are many children who do not experience this positive cycle, and therefore cannot adjust to family, school, and/or society’s demands.

These children, despite their intelligence, march to the beat of a different drummer.  AEF Camp Programs are designed specifically for these children and adolescents by addressing their life, social, and cognitive developmental skills within a fun and engaging camp setting.

All camp programs are Co-ed and are comprised of weekly sessions.

Our students and campers cannot afford the learning process to stop for 3 months during the summer.  AEF Camps offer a blended program consisting of half day targeted academic and cognitive skill instruction and half day summer camp activities.  Our blended program assures that academic gains and skills are NOT lost during the summer but also allows our campers to have fun.

AEF Summer Programs offer a special experience and is a supplemental program to our full year academic K-12 Schooling Program.  Similarly, our goal is to build confidence in children and adolescents as they grow to organize their world and build positive relationships with peers. Our program and staff help campers develop respect for rules and authority figures (including family), exercise sound judgment, take responsibility for their actions, make friends, and have fun.

This means we ensure a fun summer and also understand the year round system campers must adhere to. Our camp program teaches life and social skills which the can implemented at home, within their family and at school.

Who are our campers?

No two children are the same. Every child is a person and every person has their own unique set of skills and deficits. Many of our campers do not have a diagnosis; they simply prefer or thrive in a smaller, safer, and more structured camp environment.  Approximately 50 percent of our students and campers do NOT have a diagnosis and the other 50 percent have been diagnosed / misdiagnosed with ADHD, ASD, NVLD, and other social or communication deficits.  What they have in common is that they are high functioning (average to potentially above average intelligence) and are not being as successful as they should be in traditional camp/school settings, socially, and/or at home.

AEF Camps does NOT admit campers who are aggressive, a danger to themselves or others, exhibit emotionally disturbed behaviors, need toileting assistance, or who require a restrictive or special needs environment.  

Our campers have some or all of the following characteristics.

They:

• • • Do not enjoy a traditional camp setting
    • May shy aware from or choose not participate in activities at camp
    • May experience anxiety in new or uncertain situations
    • Have trouble in group activities
    • Need to work on teamwork and sportsmanship
    • Have trouble listening and responding correctly
    • Lose or misplace items
    • Have trouble making or keeping friends
    • Need to learn how to take turns and share
    • Have difficulty with organizational skills
    • Do not see cause and effect or learn from their mistakes
      
    • Can be restless and fidgety
    • May make impulsive decisions 
    • Need constant redirection or reminders
    • May talk excessively and/or obsessively 
    • Make poor decisions
    • Repeat the same actions despite intervention
    • Do not think through consequences

Who Are We?

The AEF Summer Program is a branch of Alternative Education Foundation, a leading not for profit organization catering towards children, adolescents, and their families who are not being successful in the traditional school (camp) environments, socially, and/or at home. The camp staff is comprised of the same multi-disciplinary team who service our full time program during the school year. All our staff are fingerprinted, pass a nationwide background check, and are CPR certified and First Aid trained.

Summary

AEF Summer Camps provide children and adolescents with a safe and nurturing environment. Campers are free to discover their identities, develop self-esteem, earn self respect, learn how to lead, know when to follow, make friends and HAVE FUN.

When campers return home they are more caring, understand the importance of giving, are better equipped to stand up for what they know is right, and are willing to be more responsible. These qualities ensure individual success, instill happiness, build successful nations, and promote civil and compassionate societies.