A Camp for Youth & Young Adults with Asperger Syndrome Ages 10 to 21

Discovery I: June 19 - 24, 2010 (boys ONLY, 10-21)

Discovery II: June 27 - July 2, 2010 (boys & girls, 10-21)
Discovery Extreme Adventure: July 2 - 6, 2010 (boys & girls, 10-21)

Situated near Itasca State Park and the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, Camp Discovery is located at Camp Courage North in beautiful Lake George, MN. This camp is designed for youth with Asperger Syndrome who are looking for a summer camp experience but would benefit from a high degree of structure and small group activities.

Recreation programs are offered in a beautiful woodland setting which includes modern cabins and bathrooms.  Nutritious meals are served cafeteria style and campers eat outside on a beautiful pine deck.  Campers will be divided into sleeping cabins with 8 campers per cabin.  The cabins will be grouped by age, gender and interest areas.  Activity choices will include swimming, fishing, biking, boating, sailing, crafts, nature lessons, digital photography, games, and special events.

Campers participate in small group discussions focusing on social skill development, self-awareness and self-advocacy.  This camp employs adults with ASD.  Campers should be able to positively participate with small groups of peers while remaining safe as this camp does not provide 1:1 attention. 

Camp Discovery Extreme Adventure 

Following the Discovery II camp session, five fortunate Camp Discovery II campers and four staff members will leave Courage North in the early morning hours of July 2nd.  They will travel to Ely, Minnesota where they will enter the BWCA for three days and two nights of camping and canoeing.

These "extreme canoeists" will enjoy the beauty of the lakes and forest in this pristine wilderness.   Participants will challenge themselves by canoeing for long hours and portaging the canoes and equipment between lakes.  They will sleep in two-person tents and prepare meals around a campfire.  The days will end with stories around the campfire, awesome stargazing, a few mosquitoes and listening to the call of the loons.  On the third day, they will paddle back to their landing where they will pack up the camp van and head back to the Camp Discovery site.  The adventure will end with a final evening of celebration at Camp Discovery.  Parents will pick up their camper on the morning of July 6th.  There will be no bus transportation option for the return to the Twin Cities.  Additonal training at Camp Discovery will be given to the five adventurers before they leave on their trip.  The Camp Director will assess each camper to ascertain their readiness and fit for this trip before the end of their Discovery Week II.

Extreme adventurers must be able to:

›Tolerate a 3-hour canoe ride

›Sleep in a tent in any weather

›Use a portable toilet outdoors (there are no indoor bathrooms)

›Tolerate insects/mosquitoes

Kari Dunn Buron developed Camp Discovery. She is succeeded as director of Camp Discovery in 2010 by Heather Hanzlick who co-directed Camp Discovery with Kari last year. Hanzlick, MS, has years of experience as an Autism Resource Specialist. Heather's co-directors this year are: Dani Smith (session I) who has over 15 years experience with ASD and numerous years working with Kari at Camp Discovery and Nichelle Zimmer (Session II) who has over 10 years experience as an Autism Resource Specailist and has worked for several years at Camp Discovery.

Related Links
visit Courage North's web site
download a map and directions to Courage North Camp (PDF)

link to Courage North on mapquest.com

Discovery Week 1 Menu (PDF)

Discovery Week 2 Menu (PDF)