Report from the Kamp Director, Dr. Mark Yeager

It’s official, Kamp Kaleidoscope 2011 will be held at The Center Ridge Outpost!  This will be exciting but will present many challenges.  But first, let me explain the reasoning behind this significant decision.  Simply put, it all comes down to finances.  Last Year Kamp Kaleidoscope cost TEAAM approximately $52,000.00.  This money covers many things but primarily the cost for lodging and food at Timber Creek.  These cost represent about 85% of the overall expense.  In the past we have received a grant from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health of $35,000.00 that covered these expenses for our volunteers and assisted some families that needed camperships.  We will not receive this grant in 2011.  The balance of this money comes from fundraising and participant fees.  The economy has caused our fundraising to be down 45% over past years.  The fees went up last year but we can’t place 100% of the funding burden on families.  They deserve more!

Since we had already purchased the property for The Center Ridge Outpost and had begun the development for summer 2012 we began to re-evaluate what we could do in 2011.  Through the efforts of many we will have an operating facility by February 2011.  We still have a lot of work to do to make The Center Ridge Outpost a fully operational camp.  Our facilities will be limited.  Facilities such as a dining hall and a swimming pool will be our biggest deficit right now.  In 2011 The Outpost will be able to host groups of 36 people at a time.  Foodservice will be done by old-fashion outdoors grilling, cooking and by providing other simple meals.  Water events will be provided through water slides, sprinklers and misting tunnels.

 TEAAM plans on providing 10 separate summer sessions.  Each session will be one night shorter than past Kamp Kaleidoscopes (two nights) but a camper can attend more than one session with prior arrangements being approved.  Fees will be less per session and we can better control the cost of supporting volunteers.  Smaller groups will allow us to better serve campers and programs will be designed with some offering one-on-one supervision and some designed for campers that can work in small groups.

 In addition to the 10 summer sessions, we have another 15 to 18 programs planned throughout the rest of the year beginning in February.  Such programs as ARAY, Adventures without Boundaries, Family Retreats, Crew Trainings and Retreats and a summer program for adults Camp Walepei will make The Center Ridge Outpost a busy place in 2011.  The Outpost will allow us to create innovative programs that we could not in the past.  These programs can include everything from wildlife management and viewing to scrap booking.  Now with our own camp, only our imagination and, of course, funding is our limits.

I know that some of these changes will be difficult for our past campers to adjust to.  Start talking to them now to prepare them for this.  Tell them that The Center Ridge Outpost is their camp and they will always have a place to fun and acceptance.  The next couple of years will be difficult as we develop and grow at the Outpost.  Our plans do include a wonderful dining and training center as well as increasing the bunk count to 72.  I invite you to visit The Outpost.  If you are in the area give us a call and come for a tour.  We would love to have you stop by.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mark H. Yeager, FAAIDD

Executive Director, TEAAM  & The Center Ridge Outpost

Kamp Kaleidoscope is Now Full.

Kamp Kaleidoscope

Kamp Kaleidoscope: The Coolest Place to be in the Summer

Kamp Kaleidoscope is an inclusive summer kamp program providing summer camp fun for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The kamp is attended by children diagnosed with ASD and their neuro-typical peers providing a fun and educational summer experience. Kamp Kaleidoscope was founded by Dr. Mark H. Yeager and was developed to meet the summer program needs of children with ASD who were either not accepted to other camps due to their diagnosis or space was not available. The basis for the camp is steeped deep in the concept of socialization with neuro-typical peers. The need to develop these skills is found at the center of all activities conducted at the camp.

Kamp Kaleidoscope is for children between the ages of 7 and 17 years of age and presently serves 70 kids each summer. Plans are forthcoming to expand this service to more children. A weekend retreat program for adults is also in the drawing board.

Each year, Kamp Kaleidoscope has experienced exponential growth in request for attendance and is presently unable to meet the needs of all applicants at this time. New plans hope to accommodate the ever growing popularity of this wonderful summer event.

Even though labor intensive, the kamp is the hottest event within the autism community in Mississippi and interest from volunteers and college campuses continues to grow. Kamp Kaleidoscope’s program boast opportunities in swimming, horseback riding, arts & crafts with a sensory focus, music therapy, sports, rock wall climbing, fishing, watermelon parties, fireworks and much more. The staff includes full time members who are autism specialist, behavior management specialist, physicians, nurses, occupational therapist, equestrian enthusiast, psychologist, music therapist, educators, speech pathologist, outdoor specialist and folks that just want to have fun. Each camper has an assigned counselor who is under the guidance of a lead counselor trained in the “Kamp Kaleidoscope Method”.