Experience Camps for Grieving Children

This summer, August 25 - 30, 2019, at Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods in Decauter, MI, boys and girls from the Midwest and beyond will come together to spend a week at thesixth Experience Camp to be launched in the United States. Experience Camps providefree, one-week camps for children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling orprimary caregiver. Along with swimming, arts and crafts, and team sports, the kids take part in bereavement activities including sharing circles where they are encouraged to talk about their grief.

Currently accepting referrals and applications for boys and girls entering grades 4 – 7 in the 2019 / 20 school year.  Click here to access the application.

See video for more background at Experience Camps Video.

WHY:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1.5 million children are living in a single-family household because of the death of one parent. Grieving children are at higher risk than their non-grieving peers for depression, anxiety, poor school attendance or dropping out, isolation, behavior problems, lowered academic achievement, drug and/or alcohol abuse, incarceration or suicide. Experience Camps Help.

“Experience Camps truly are the best week of the year. We stand together, eat together, laugh together, cry together, and have fun together. Every person shares a special bond - the loss of someone near to us. Everyone understands the immense pain we have all gone through. I really do believe that the best part of camp is the fact that this is one of the only places in the world where everyone "gets" that feeling deep down inside.” - Stephen McNulty, camper

WHEN: August 25 - 30, 2019

WHERE: Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods in Decauter, MI

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:

• Sara Deren - Founder and Executive Director
• Ilana Lerman - Girls Program Director, Chicago resident
• Various campers and former campers

ABOUT EXPERIENCE CAMPS: 

Experience Camps help grieving children feel “normal” and supported through friendship, teamwork, camp activities, and the common bond of loss. It is a safe environment where kids can explore their grief, break the isolation they may feel with their non-camp peers, and have a whole lot of fun. They have the opportunity to meet and connect with kids who are going through similar challenges, while getting all of the benefits of the traditional summer camp experience. In 2019, Experience Camps will have more than 600 campers at camps in Maine, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Michigan. For more information about Experience Camps, visit http://www.experience.camp. Follow us on Facebook orTwitter.