2 ULTIMATE CAMP GUIDE 2018 ARCAD A NEWS AWA R D W I N N I N G N E I G H B O R H O O D N E W S S I N C E 19 9 3 PUBLISHER Greg A. Bruns greg@arcadianews.com EDITOR Nick Smith nick@arcadianews.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Gabe Turner gabe@arcadianews.com ADVERTISING Roni Mier roni@arcadianews.com INCLUDING EVERYONE There are a number of summer camp offerings in Arizona that are tailored to those with special needs or unique situations. 3 9 10 12 4 6 COOL STUFF TO DO There’s never a reason to feel bored during the summer break! Spend your days doing cool things and visiting exciting places all over the Valley. Content TREND CAMPS There has been a recent trend toward camps with a specific focus, especially when it comes to the ever-popular worlds of sports and technology! CAMP AT HOME Staying home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the camp experience. We’ve got creative ways to bring all the fun of summer camp to your living room. CAMP LISTINGS Our state has a wide variety of summer camps for everyone to choose from. Our listings provide all the information you’re looking for. ARE WE THERE YET? Do your summer vacation plans include a road trip? Check out our scavenger hunt on the back page for a fun way to pass some of the time in the car! 3850 E Indian School Rd #1, Phoenix AZ 85018 • 602-840-6379 • arcadianews.com From climbing trees, to roasting marshmallows and sleeping under the stars, summer camps have provided some of the best childhood memories for people of all ages. At the Arcadia News , we know how important camp can be to children and families in our neighborhood. We also know that choosing the right one and getting all the correct information about it can sometimes seem overwhelming. That’s why we created our Camp Guide, which is published each March along with the regular monthly edition of the Arcadia News . It may seem a little early to think about plans for summer vacation, but the days go by quick, and it can be helpful that have the information you need early! Our eighth annual Camp Guide contains over two pages of camp listings from all over the state. This is a great way to take a look at what each one offers and how you and your camper can get prepared. We’ve also got a list of Cool Stuff To Do, with a variety of day activities around the Phoenix area, for when the long summer break starts to give way to boredom. One of the most interesting things we noticed when preparing the Camp Guide was the wide range of camp types available in Arizona. One particular standout is in our own backyard, located at the Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired (SAAVI) Youth Center on Thomas Road and 42nd Street. We sat down with SAAVI community relations coordinator Jordan Moon to talk about the two different camps that are hosted by SAAVI during the summertime. You also don’t have to head out for a week this summer to have a memorable camp experience. We’ve got a list of free and fun ideas that can bring you the joy and excitement of summer camp without having to leave the comfort of your own home. We hope our Camp Guide is both enjoyable and enlightening for anyone thinking about camping out for part of the summer! As always, please reach out to editor@arcadianews.com with any feedback or ideas. Thank you for reading the Arcadia News ! — Nick Smith nick@arcadianews.com EDITOR’S NOTE Kids Day Camp (ages 4.5 - 12) Teen Leadership Camp (ages 13 - 16) Unplug, connect & build confi dence in skills to help you stay active for a lifetime June - August · 1 week sessions Full and half day · Extended Care HUBBARDSPORTS.COM 602.971.4044 FUN, FRIENDSHIPS, ACTIVE PLAY Camp Hubbard COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

3 ULTIMATE CAMP GUIDE 2018 BY JENNIFER MARSHALL O ur world is made up of all kinds of people, with everyone from children to adults having a unique life story. Thankfully, there are a wide range of clubs, organizations and activities for humans whose lives are a little bit different from the general population. One great example is the variety of summer camps for children, no matter who they are! One such camp will be taking place this summer right in our neighborhood. It will be hosted at the Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired (SAAVI) location near Thomas Road and 42nd Street. In 1964, two blind sisters from Tucson started a support group for blind and visually impaired people. While the group shared experiences to support each other, it wasn’t taking any steps to actually improve its members’ lives. Group members lamented their limited job opportunities, and needed to improve their career prospects. SAAVI was launched in response to this challenge, with the simple premise of teaching those with blindness and low vision how to gain employment and be successful. As the organization grew and added offices in Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma, it updated its name to SAAVI Services for the Blind, to better reflect its wide range of services. SAAVI works with adults, senior citizens and youth, with the primary focus on the adult job program. “SAAVI is a blindness training center; we teach people the skills to become job- ready. We prepare them to find work,” said Jordan Moon, SAAVI community relations coordinator. SAAVI also teaches its students how to live fully. They’re taught how to cook, clean and do laundry to support a healthy professional life and enable them to live independently. Kids are a big focus at SAAVI, especially during the summer, when two different SAAVI associated camps camps take place. For Kindergarten through 8th grade, there’s Bell Academy Camp, run by the National Federation of the Blind. The goal of the camp is to encourage children to improve their skills, instill confidence and make life-lasting friendships. There is no registration fee for this camp, and lunch and snacks are provided. A big aspect of the camp is its focus on teaching braille and making it fun. Learning braille at a young age provides a strong foundation for an excellent education as it teaches students how to spell and read. This camp will take place right in our backyard, at the SAAVI location on Thomas Road. There is a second camp for older students, ages 14 through 18. This is SAAVI’s own Ready Set Go Summer Camp, which helps students learn aspects of independence. Campers will share a studio apartment with another camper, take part in orientation and mobility lessons, learn about budgeting, and compete in sports. This will take place on the SAAVI campus in Tucson. “We want to help teach our students to live and do everything in nonvisual ways,” Moon said. “We’re teaching students how to compensate for the vision they don’t have and we want them to have the tools necessary to survive no matter what the condition is.” For more: nfb.org/bell-academy and saavi.us. Junior Jabberee Summer Day Camp Desert Valley Pediatric Therapy offers a social skills therapy day camp for children who have difficulty communicating and interacting with peers and family. The camp is offered for children ages 3-6 and 6-9 at Esparanza Lutheran Church. The camp takes place June 5-June 28 or July 10-July 26 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For more: dvpediatrictherapy.com Camp Sunrise Camp Sunrise is a summer day camp for children who have been diagnosed with cancer and their siblings. This two-week camp includes games, field trips, swimming and crafts. The camp takes place June 4-June 15 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day at the Summit School of Ahwatukee. The camp is free. For more: azcampsunrise.org 2018 Summer Games Special Olympics Arizona is hosting the 2018 Summer Games from May 3 to May 5. Although it is not a summer camp, it is a great opportunity for individuals with intellectual disabilities of all ages to participate in a fun event close to summer. The games take place each of those days from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at Raymond S. Kellis High School. For more: specialolympicsarizona.org Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped The recreation center offers a program called ARCHKids that hosts a summer camp each year. In addition to the camp, they host many events for special needs persons of all ages. Past camps have included a variety of activities supervised by trained staff that help the kids develop social and educational skills. ARCH will post more details on their website closer to the camp. For more: archaz.org Camp Zoo The Phoenix Zoo puts on this fun camp each summer for children who love adventures. Camp Zoo has amazing accommodations that allow special needs children to experience animal encounters, hands-on activities, hikes, and other zoo adventures along with the other children. The dates for this zoo have not been released yet, but the week-long program is offered twice this summer. Registration opens Spring 2018. For more: phoenixzoo.org Sense of Wonder Camp This is another camp offered by the Phoenix Zoo for special needs children with sensory or orthopedic impairments. Sense of Wonder Camp is a one-day experience that includes similar activities to Camp Zoo. Each camper will receive a shirt, hat, water bottle, and lanyard to wear during camp. Registration opens Spring 2018. For more: phoenixzoo.org including everyone small support group grows to vital summer camp Special needs Camps BY KAYLEE SUMPTER PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA ASSOCIATION FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 4222 E. THOMAS ROAD, PHOENIX 6027950195 • SAAVI.US BELL ACADEMY CAMP July 16-July 27 READY SET GO SUMMER CAMP June 10-July 21 SAAVI