Special Needs After School Enrichment and Respite

            Rise Above is a special needs theater program run at the Rosenthal JCC. We work with kids in elementary school who have developmental disabilities and want to come and have fun while building their confidence and making friends. Each week, the kids come in and we begin with a table activity. Some weeks we teach new songs and the table activity is pictures that go along with the words of the song that the kids can color in. This helps them learn the song more easily, especially if they have trouble reading. On other days, we create worksheets or design activities for the kids to explore themselves and describe who they are and little things about them. Next, we do a name game with a different topic each week and each person has to match their name to. For example, if animals were the topic and someone’s name is Madison they might say monkey Madison and everyone would act out a monkey. This helps them build their confidence and use their imagination and improvisation skills in a fun way.

            Next we usually play a couple of games like the Magic Box game or the story game. In the magic box game, there is an imaginary box in the middle with every single thing in it and each person must decide what to pull out of the box and act it out while everyone else guesses and then also acts it out. This is important in helping the kids learn how to think on the spot and be creative. The story game is where we go around the circle and each person adds on a sentence until a story develops. Then, we act out the story we create. This is a fun activity because the kids get to create something using their imagination and theater skills. Finally, we teach a new song with little movements or go over the past songs. This is really fun for them because they love to sing and rarely get the chance to sing for people or are too scared to. They get a chance to be surrounded by people they can relate to and face their fears in a safe place.

            At the end of the year, there is a performance of all the songs we practice in front of parents and other spectators. This is a really exciting day where the kids get to show off how much they have accomplished and grown. It is amazing to see how much progress is made from the first class to the performance. Most of the kids come in nervous and barely talking; at the end, they never stop. They are so much braver and excited about who they are and the friends they have made. The goal isn’t to have a good show, but to have fun and learn about themselves.

38 Days of Magic

We’re a small organization, not grand by any means. We’re a community center that works extremely hard and we produce amazing results across the board. Being a part of the Camp Discovery family during the summer is definitely my favorite part of my year round job and the most rewarding for me, and I can say with all certainty most of the staff that works at camp feels that way too. Within this great team are the kids. The kids lead us, inspire us and remind us that success is measured in small steps, not always in some grand fashion.

Only 38 days. It’s amazing how fast it goes. It was over the summer that the staff and campers got to see it all come together. The campers in the Trailblazer Program at camp are not succeeding because they got a home run or a new local swim record, but because of all of other small events that most people fail to recognize daily.

“I’m happy that he was able to work through his sensory issues at the pool… giving him the idea to work out before he got in the pool (so he can warm up) made him feel independent and solved the issue he had” 

Parent, Trailblazer Program Camp Discover 2015

Looking back this summer, the success of our Trailblazer campers was measured by small milestones and the small hurdles overcome. The support of the shadows that work with these campers was special.  For those campers who are not used to the typical successes that other children feel daily at other camps, they finally feel it with us. Our camp environment, our flexible schedule and accommodating staff make these success stories possible.

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