The National Inclusion Project Partners With YMCA Camp Greenville
March 22, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – The National Inclusion Project has partnered with YMCA Camp Greenville to create an inclusive environment where children with and without disabilities can play, learn and laugh together. As part of the partnership, the National Inclusion Project provides the Let’s ALL Play program model, training, expertise, annual Power of Play Conference and a wide network of inclusion experts ready to problem solve and share best practices on ensuring that no child sits on the sidelines.
Y Camp Greenville is one of only 13 organizations that the National Inclusion Project has chosen to partner with this year. “We believe our partnership with Camp Greenville will get us one step closer to making the inclusion of children with disabilities the expectation and not the exception,” said Jerry Aiken, National Inclusion Project Executive Director.
YMCA Camp Greenville sits on 1,400 acres of pristine mountain property in Cleveland, SC that features mountain views, two mountain lakes, and waterfalls. YMCA summer camp has been in existence for 102 years and serves more than 10,000 people each year during summer resident camp and fall/spring programs such as school groups for experiential learning and outdoor education and specialty camps such as military family camp, and families with children with disabilities. Children who attend Camp Greenville through the Let’s ALL Play partnership will participate in the same variety of activities that every other camper has access too.
Research shows overwhelming evidence that the Let’s ALL Play model helps children with disabilities improve self-esteem, social skills, and confidence while those without disabilities improved their leadership, problem-solving and empathy skills. The model makes it possible for all children to come together and participate in recreational activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, community service, physical fitness and more. More importantly, it allows children with and without disabilities to create friendships that may not have been possible in other parts of their lives.
“As it is in many communities, summer programs for children with special needs are extremely hard to find,” said Rick Burris, Executive Director of YMCA Camp Greenville. “Partnering with the National Inclusion Project will truly help us to serve more children each year, providing them with a summer of fun and great experiences they may not normally have access to. We are so excited to have been chosen to be part of this amazing, much-needed initiative”.
About the National Inclusion Project
The National Inclusion Project was co-founded in 2003 by entertainer Clay Aiken and serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. By driving the movement for social inclusion in after school programs, summer camps, and community-based activities, children of all abilities learn, play and laugh together. Over the past twelve years, the Project has provided training, curriculum, and support to YMCAs, JCCs, Boys & Girls Clubs, 4H, CampFire USA, Kids Museums, Zoos and other community organizations looking to become inclusive or enhance their inclusive programs. For more information visit: www.inclusionproject.org.
