Camp Blue Skies: Empowering Adults with Developmental Disabilities through Connection

Empowering Adults with Developmental Disabilities through Connection

CampBlueSkies.org

How can society better support individuals with developmental disabilities in achieving their full potential and leading richer lives?

Camp Blue Skies offers hope and unimagined possibilities for adults in this often-underserved population. With a mission to enhance their lives through recreation, socialization, and life skills education, we offer a traditional, accessible, and affordable camp experience that yields multiple positive outcomes, such as newfound skills, more confidence, and cherished memories.

People with developmental disabilities often go about their daily lives in isolation. At camp, friendships flourish through shared experiences, collaborative activities, and social events, fostering a strong sense of belonging and camaraderie. Our campers, programmers, nurses and healthcare workers, and volunteers learn from each other while forming lasting bonds.

Camp Blue Skies is not unique in who we serve, but we are unique in how we deliver. We offer an experience that combines a place (away) and time (extended) and programming (intentional) that yields multiple results that directly serve our clients.

We have seen firsthand how Camp Blue Skies can transform the lives of the campers, parents, caregivers, volunteers, and supporters.

– PARENT OF CAMPER

Through carefully crafted programming, Camp Blue Skies provides a transformative experience that empowers individuals with developmental disabilities to embrace their strengths, expand their horizons, and thrive. Parents and caregivers, on the other hand, get well-deserved respite—some for the first time. Our volunteers create a nurturing environment and community that celebrates our campers’ achievements, big or small.

To help Camp Blue Skies continue our valuable work, we want to partner with investors who can financially support us in meeting our goals to keep camp affordable, expand our services,

FOUNDER’S STORY

After a long career in commercial real estate investment, I had met my goals professionally and financially. Having a son with a rare genetic disorder, Williams syndrome, I was naturally drawn to helping enhance the lives of individuals with a developmental disability. As a parent, I was keenly aware that opportunities for recreation and socialization diminish greatly after they age out of the school system. As a youth, I enjoyed the camp experience of being outdoors and making friends. I wanted to create the same rewarding environment for an adult population that is isolated mentally and physically. I spent three years researching programs, visiting camps, and eventually commissioning a needs assessment to build a case for support. In 2010, I launched the first Camp Blue Skies session in the foothills of North Carolina. The next year, we expanded to Georgia and, a few years later, to South Carolina. This

and uphold our mission. We have created a fun and impactful experience that leaves campers, volunteers, and parents/caregivers wanting more. Our innovative business model, remarkable results, heartfelt anecdotes, compelling statistics, and smiling faces will convince you that Camp Blue Skies is worth your investment. With support from generous donors, we will build a solid future that creates a camp experience and a place to call home for a deserving population.

My father created this amazing place, a place I feel like I truly belong, a place I can call home.

– CAMPER BRENT SESLER

dream of mine turned into a much bigger service. Combining my passion for camp and a place for adults with developmental disabilities…it was a match made in heaven.

– DICK SESLER

AN INCREASING POPULATION THAT IS LIVING LONGER

More than seven million individuals in the United States have a developmental disability, and while countless programs support children with disabilities, very few serve adults. This is true even as the number of adults with developmental disabilities increases and life expectancy grows due to medical advances and improved living conditions. The number of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities over 60 is projected to nearly double from 641,860 in 2000 to 1.2 million by 2030. The mean age at death ranges from the mid-50s for people with a severe disability to the early 70s for adults with a mild/moderate intellectual disability1. And yet, activities and programs for adults with developmental disabilities are limited or non-

existent. Even when opportunities exist, they can be expensive.

This lack of organized programming negatively affects individuals, their families, and caregivers. As Camp Blue Skies founder Dick Sesler often says, “If you can’t drive a car, it’s hard to make a friend.” Research shows that people with disabilities have fewer friends and less social support—and are more socially isolated— than their peers without disabilities. An estimated one million households in the U.S. include an adult with an intellectual disability living at home. This strains both the person with the disability and the caregiver. Many caregivers of adults with developmental disabilities are themselves aging and working full-time outside of the home. In 25 percent of these family homes, the caregiver is over 60. Families have access to few support services, little funding, and limited residential options with long waitlists.

Camp Blue Skies is a place like no other. – VOLUNTEER AND BOARD MEMBER

Camp Blue Skies fills a critical gap for this underserved population, by meeting the demand for programs for adults with developmental disabilities while providing respite for their caregivers. For campers, Camp Blue Skies offers socialization, new friendships, and an opportunity to learn to live in a community. We encourage being active daily and integrate life skills in our programming, so campers can live more independently. For caregivers, it’s a time to rest, relax, and breathe more easily, knowing their child is safe and sound in a caring environment. If you have ever been a caregiver, you understand how priceless respite truly is.

1 Bittles et al., 2002; Janicki et al., 1999. For people with a severe disability or intellectual disability, life expectancy is similar to that of the general population.

2 CDC and Developmental Disabilities: Delivery of Medical Care for Children and Adults. I. Leslie Rubin and Allen C. Crocker. Philadelphia, PA, Lea & Febiger, 1989.

3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Intellectual disability fact sheet. Retrieved August 9, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/ ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/facts-about-intellectual-disability.html

DEFINITION

Developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas.

These conditions begin during the developmental period, may affect dayto-day functioning, and usually last throughout a person’s lifetime.

2 Intellectual disabilities3 can be characterized by differences with both:

• Intellectual functioning or intelligence, which includes the ability to learn, reason, problem solve, and other skills.

• Adaptive behavior, which includes everyday social and life skills.

A Day in the Life of a Blue Skies Camper

THE CAMP BLUE SKIES WAY

Camp Blue Skies serves about 250 families each year through our five-day, four-night sessions in Georgia and North Carolina and a weekend camp in South Carolina, with 60 to 70 individuals attending each session. Our campers, aged 21 to 60+, have developmental disabilities such as (but not limited to) Down syndrome, Autism spectrum disorder, and Williams syndrome. They come from diverse living situations, including group homes, traditional homes (living independently or at home with family or support), and secondary schools.

Programming at Camp Blue Skies addresses the importance of education for healthy nutrition, exercise, and life skills, intending that these adults will return home to live more independent, fulfilling, and productive lives.

Based on our mission, we take a three-pronged approach to camp to provide opportunities to be active outside, learn new things, and make friends:

Recreation

Includes yoga, fishing, nature walks, field games, and Balance Your Body (a program developed specifically for adults with developmental disabilities). Activities for thrill-seekers range from the zip line and high ropes courses to climbing walls. 1

Socialization

Such as cabin-time bonding, a scavenger hunt, karaoke, bingo, and the Big Dance on the last night. 2

Education

Includes nutrition, healthy eating, innovative arts/ crafts, and team-building activities. 3

Life at home is very structured. They come to camp, and they smile a whole lot more. One of my guys came up to me with a big grin and said, ‘I did the zip line!’

– GROUP HOME MANAGER

Ultimately, we aim for every camper to gain confidence and feel empowered. While we recognize their range of abilities, we comfortably structure activities at every level. We use “challenge by choice” to encourage campers to step out of their comfort zones and stretch for new achievements.

Every facet of Camp Blue Skies is dedicated to the growth of each camper through fostering meaningful interactions, improving communication, refining social adeptness, cultivating personal routines, embracing physical vitality, nurturing teamwork, and unleashing the full potential of creative thinking. Here are examples of how our curriculum addresses these components:

EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS

Social skills – table manners, interacting with others

Nutrition – lessons in making healthy choices, portion control

Exercise – being active and moving our bodies; walking, dancing, playing games

Community living skills – cabin-time, mealtimes, hygiene

Teamwork – working in small groups, helping and encouraging others

Communication skills (verbal/ nonverbal) – listening, taking direction

Creative thinking – arts/crafts, dance, drumming

Comfort zone growth – experiencing something new and challenging

We get to do a lot of activities. [Camp] makes me feel confident. – CAMPER

HOW WE MAKE CAMP HAPPEN

Camp Blue Skies founder Dick Sesler learned through research and experience that buying/building and maintaining a physical camp could cost a few million dollars annually and would prove prohibitive for serving many people. While attending a camp conference in February one year, Dick learned that camps supplement annual income with off-season rentals. Plus, that conference was in Florida, and he realized how great the weather could be outside the traditional summer camp season. “We can have camp wherever there are blue skies,” he says.

Instead of owning real estate, Camp Blue Skies leases traditional camps during their off-season. This innovative business model avoids the financial risk of long-term facility expenses. Instead, we can focus on our clients and how to meet the demand to serve more people. Mirroring that approach, the Camp Blue Skies team has worked remotely since the beginning and gathers annually for a retreat. We rent storage spaces for supplies and materials.

Our volunteers are the other unique aspect of our approach and are cornerstones of our success. Since our ideal volunteer-to-camper ratio is 2:1, approximately 60 volunteers are needed each session as Cabin Counselors, Weeklong Volunteers, Day Volunteers, and Program Assistants. Their ages range from college students to empty nesters to retirees.

Each cabin has a Lead Counselor, who has substantial experience working or interacting with individuals with developmental disabilities, including the skills to support and prompt campers if needed. Lead Counselors receive a stipend; all other counselors are volunteers, often using their vacation time or taking unpaid time off to be at camp.

More than 300 dedicated volunteers annually contribute their time and energy to making camp happen. These incredible people leave camp with a better understanding and respect for the population—a few have even made career changes to work full-time with individuals with developmental disabilities.

At Camp Blue

Skies, safety is our priority. Here’s how we ensure we’re meeting that goal:

We require comprehensive background checks for all individuals, including volunteers, programmers, and staff.

A dedicated, experienced team of two to four nurses and healthcare workers, who receive a stipend, is on-site, and a physician is available 24/7 to address any medical needs, emergencies, and behavioral issues. Our Board of Directors includes two doctors.

A high volunteer-to-camper ratio ensures each camper receives the attention and care they need.

We hire qualified and professional instructors to administer programs and, in each cabin, at least one Lead Counselor with experience working with the population.

Online and in-person volunteer training is held before each session.

A staff member talks with every camper’s family and every volunteer to ensure that camp is a good fit for them.

We take great pride in our high return rate for campers and volunteers, as it reflects their trust in and satisfaction with the overall experience.

OUR IMPACT

After every session, we hear stories from campers and their caregivers about how their lives have improved. According to a parent, Camp Blue Skies has given his daughter “opportunities that she might not have had and helped her develop into who she is today. Participating in Camp Blue Skies has expanded her horizons and bolstered her social and leadership skills, all while she was having fun.”

BENEFITS OF THE CAMP BLUE SKIES EXPERIENCE

Another individual wrote in a survey that camp makes them realize, “I’m not the only person on the planet like me.”

These anecdotes are backed by the data we collect from camper, parent/caregiver, and volunteer surveys at the end of each camp session. Surveys indicate that our programming helps campers improve in many aspects of their lives.

Parents and caregivers report that campers improve in all areas surveyed when they attend multiple sessions of camp.

We created a documented, tested program that is purposeful and comprehensive. For our campers, learning a simple task often accomplishes a remarkable feat. Camp Blue Skies is about having fun yet being deliberate with an innovative curriculum that supports our mission and the success of our community.

Camp Blue Skies is not only a positive force in the lives of campers but also in the lives of their parents and caregivers, many of whom tirelessly devote themselves 24/7, 365 days a year, to their children. Our sessions allow these dedicated parents and caregivers to recharge and care for their well-being.

Parents of one family shared that “Camp Blue Skies has become an essential part of life for our daughters and ourselves and fills a gap that allows our children to feel a part of a community. It has strengthened their self-esteem, caused them to be more mindful of others, assisted them in understanding how to make better food and exercise choices and a myriad of other soft skills developed from their camp participation.”

For some parents, it’s their first time away from their child—ever. As one parent said, “I took the time to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy no responsibility. I needed this so much that I literally cried big and messy.”

Those few days allow us to relax and renew as a couple and as parents, because we know that our children are happy, healthy, and being well cared for by so many dedicated individuals who graciously volunteer their time and talents and truly care about our children!

– PARENTS OF CAMPERS

Our camp volunteers are transformed by their experiences, too, and many return year after year. Dr. Brent Wolfe, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who helped shape our volunteer experience for college students while at Georgia Southern University observed, “Spending a week at camp was such a transformative experience that some students change their majors when they return to school. Many also become strong advocates for the community.”

Other volunteers point to how much they learn from the campers. As Rich Henley said, “Camp Blue Skies helped me discover my purpose and energized my conviction. Camp gave me so much more than I could possibly offer. The peace that came with a smile as I reflected on my week and stayed with me a long time.”

Carrie Guerrette appreciates how the campers are willing to try almost anything when faced with challenges at camp and in daily life. “Campers have taught me to be braver in trying new things and enjoy moments in life, whether big or small,” she says. “At this point, I probably get as excited about returning to camp as most campers do.”

One veteran volunteer says some people go to a Magic Kingdom in Florida, but he thinks Camp Blue Skies is the real Magic Kingdom. “I think the hardest thing for a new volunteer to understand is that the volunteers get more from the campers than they give,” says Dan Sturzenbecker, who is at nearly every session with his wife, Debby. “The campers have much to teach you about dealing with adversity, enjoying life, and keeping a good attitude.”

The biggest highlight is just being with and watching this population enjoy every minute of Camp, from the moment they wake up until bedtime. The joy that Camp brings to their lives is amazing!

FINANCIALS

2023 Revenue ($607,000)

Corporate Contributions (13%), $76,442

Individual Contributions (26%), $158,855

Grants (25%), $154,000

Fundraising Events, Gross (17%), $107,333

Camper Fees (17%), $100,725

Other (Store, FB, Amazon, etc.) (2%), $10,451

2023 Expenses ($596,000)

Foundation & General (5%), $30,124

Fundraising General (7%), $40,884

Fundraising Events (6%), $35,061

Camp Operations (51%), $305,930

Camp Program (28%), $166,043

Travel Expenses (3%), $18,174

OUR PARTNERS

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Foundations, scholarships, and awards

AARP Purpose Prize Fellow

Autism Strong

Be Like Tom

Berryhill Foundation

Belk Project Hometown Hero

Charlotte Woman’s Club

Domtar

The Gambrell Foundation

Healthy Charlotte Alliance

John & Mary Franklin Foundation

The Leon Levine Foundation

Longleaf Fund

The Merancas Foundation

Reemprise Fund

Social Venture Partners Seed20

Tegna Foundation

The Scott Hudgens Family Foundation

CAMP PARTNERS

Camp Twin Lakes

YMCA Camp Harrison

YMCA Camp Thunderbird

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Autism After 18

Bridges Transition Program of Philips Academy

Camp SOAR

Elevation Outreach

InReach

Levine Jewish Community Center

RyzAb0ve Fitness

ShareCharlotte

Special Olympics of Mecklenburg County

The Exceptional Foundation

EDUCATION PARTNERS

Appalachian State University

Central Piedmont Community College

Clemson University

Davidson College

Georgia Southern University

Georgia Tech Excel Program

Harvard University

School of Business

Mercer University College of Pharmacy

South Piedmont Community College

UNC Charlotte

UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (Asheville)

University of Georgia College of Pharmacy

Warren Wilson College

West Georgia Technical College Wingate University School of Pharmacy (Hendersonville)

He matured and experienced challenges. Even his speech is clearer. I am just amazed. He seems to have newfound confidence and enthusiasm about life in general and camp.

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