We love hearing success stories from our Let's ALL Play partners, and we know you do, too! When the staff from Camp Winnebago at Rock River YMCA reached out, we just had to share!
From the Camp Director:
"We just finished up our first week of summer camp and I couldn't help but reflect on how far Winnebago has come in the last couple of years since partnering with the National Inclusion Project.
What's so cool is the shift in culture I've observed. The campers that our staff pour themselves into now were the campers we turned away to other organizations just 3 years ago saying, "Maybe they can serve your child better."
Take Isaiah, for example; a 7th grade Soaring Eagle Camper. He successfully completed the high ropes course. Everyone watching the video was so proud of Isaiah and amazed at what he had accomplished.
But what really stood out to me was our staff and their patience and encouragement of Isaiah. I am so proud that our staff feel empowered, confident, and inspired by him. I credit that to the Let's ALL Play inclusion training.
The skills, techniques and suggestions the training provides are important of course. But I believe it is the core beliefs that every child can participate, EVERY child can make a friend and EVERY child can succeed that set this training apart and make it such a powerful tool.
One of our first timers, a 6th grade Wilderness Camper, was overheard saying, "You know what I really like about this camp? Kids like Isaiah would get made fun of at school, but here everyone wants to help out and be his friend."
If this doesn't exemplify the power of inclusion, we don't know what does!