Opportunity Enterprises has received a $10,000 grant from the National Inclusion Project to partner with the Valparaiso YMCA to make their summer day camps inclusive for children with special needs. The camps, which will be held during the summer of 2013 at the Valparaiso YMCA, will be staffed by a team from both OE and the YMCA. Camps will be open to children of all abilities, with at least 20% of the children having special needs.
“This grant will allow us to fill a significant need in our community,” shares Liz Metts, Grants and Funding Coordinator for Opportunity Enterprises. “Statistical research indicates that there are approximately 800 children under eighteen in Valparaiso living with some type of disability. In addition to population statistics, we have had contact with several parents of children with special needs who have expressed concern over the lack of summer programs specifically for these children. This past year, the Valparaiso YMCA started the Can Do Kids program—a weekly program geared toward children with special needs—and this grant funding will allow the YMCA summer camp program to follow suit.”
Part of the grant money will be used to train camp directors and staff on inclusion through the “Let’s ALL Play” program. Part of the National Inclusion Project, “Let’s ALL Play” provides the foundation and framework for recreational programs to bring an inclusive experience to children in their communities. Through training, staffing, and scholarships, “Let’s ALL Play” gives children with disabilities the same experience as those without. The goal of “Let’s ALL Play” is to assist organizations that serve children nationwide in moving toward full inclusion.
Much of the remainder of the funding will be used to provide scholarships for children with special needs so they are financially able to participate. For more information about the camp, contact the YMCA’s Childcare Office at (219) 464-9543, ext. 333 or camp@valpoymca.org.
The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them, and partners with communities and inclusive programs creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring. For more information, visit www.inclusionproject.org.
Since 1967, OE has been a non-profit organization which creates sustainable life choices and opportunities for individuals with unique challenges and abilities. Today, OE serves 1,100 adults and children with disabilities in Porter County and throughout Northwest Indiana. For more information, visit www.oppent.org.
Photo: Standing (l-r): Deb Koeppen, YMCA VP Chief Development Officer, Liz Metts, OE Grants and Funding Coordinator, Christi Brooks, OE Respite Services Manager, Shannon Spratley, YMCA Senior Program Director of Child Care; Seated (l-r): Colleen Rhoades, OE VP of Client Services, Bob Wanek, YMCA CEO, and Ellen DeMartinis, OE Interim President/CEO