Overview

Enroll now for summer camps! Our camps provide an exciting choice of activities, from video production to habitat restoration to art. With these as a foundation, our master's level counselors help campers build confidence and connect to new friends. AGE-BASED CAMPS: Outdoor games, field trips and habitat restoration projects (with a $15 internship stipend). Connections and confidence built through outdoor games, field trips and habitat restoration projects. This camp is great for kids who are typically functioning but have some difficulty making friends, or those who have diagnoses of Asperger's, autism, ADHD and other varying ability levels.

Additional Information

The age-based camps center around field trips into the community and adventures outdoors. Campers complete habitat restoration projects at Ravenna Park as well as other locations and receive a $15 stipend for their work. Throughout the week, campers travel to different parks and participate in free-choice activities which may include building and inventing projects, tabletop gaming, kickball games, art activities, and nature walks. Thursdays are rotating field trips to favorites such as the Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo, Pump It Up, Pinball Museum, Living Computers Museum, MoPOP, and the Pacific Science Center, among others.

Key components of Aspiring Youth camp:

• Small group ratios with masters-level facilitators. The camper to facilitator ratio is 4:1, which is almost unheard of for a summer camp. This allows for activities in small group settings and consistent feedback and facilitation of social interactions. Lead facilitators have masters degrees in fields such as social work, mental health counseling, special education, applied behavior analysis, and speech language pathology. Their knowledge and skills provides meaningful integration of social skills in all activities.
• Outdoor-based activities. Many of the kids we work with prefer to stay indoors playing video games and spend little time exploring the outdoors. Our camp is outdoor-based. We meet up at various parks in the greater Seattle area for games, hikes, and unique experiences with nature. Twice a week, campers engage in trail renovation projects. This gives kids a greater appreciation for the parks they visit and instills a sense of pride in accomplishing something important. It also provides an opportunity for working together in groups on a skill most have not done before. Campers stay motivated to engage in trail restoration by the $15 stipend earned at the end of the week.
• Goal setting around friendship. One thing we like to make clear to our campers is that everyone at camp is working on friendship or communication goals. At the beginning of each week, campers do small-group goal setting: a strength goal to demonstrate one of his or her strengths and a stretch goal to work on something he or she struggles with. Facilitators remind campers about their goals and provide opportunities for them to work on their goals throughout the week. At the end of the week, campers and their facilitators reflect.
• Options in activities. As most understand, kids need to be able to make choices about their activity if we expect them to be engaged. They like to feel empowered. At camp, we always have options for kids. Some involve structured activities and others less structured. Regardless of the option each child chooses, there is always a facilitator providing feedback and assistance.

Pricing: All age-based summer camps are $650 per week. Families who register for 7 or more weeks of age-based camps will receive a discount. Schedule: Camp typically runs from 9:30am – 3:30pm, Monday – Thursday; some camps run 9:00am-3:00pm Monday – Thursday. Camper to counselor ratio: 4:1 Minimum commitment: We have a 2-week minimum for Explorers, Navigators, and Girls Rule! camps, and a 3-week minimum for Teen Crew. Parents are strongly encouraged to select consecutive weeks but it is not required. Extended care: We are not currently offering Before and After care for the 2025 cycle of Summer camps. However, we may offer extended care in future summer quarters. Payment plans: We offer payment plan options for in-person summer camps, which parents can select when registering online. Plan options may not be available after the registration deadline of May 31st. Scholarships: The Summer Camp Scholarship deadline is May 1st. Students with an Autism diagnosis may be eligible for Ben's Fund, which can be applied to camp and group fees. All grant funding must be secured prior to registration for Aspiring Youth programs. Refund Policy: Summer Camp Refund Policy.