14 | SEPTEMBER 5 • 2024 J
N

S

eventy-five campers from
kindergarten to age 28
took part in The J’s special
needs enrichment programming
this summer, according to Shayne
Young, assistant director to special
needs enrichment at The J.
“Something that was great this
year is we had a lot of new families
in all three of our programs, which
was really nice to see,” Young says.
“It was a nice wave of families
that are starting early with us and
are able to grow with us over the
years.”
With the option to participate

in one or two four-week sessions,
some campers took part in the
Kids All Together (KAT) inclusion
program, where kids from
kindergarten to 10 years old are
integrated with one-on-one staff
into The J’s main camp program
for archery, canoeing, outdoor
cooking, Israeli culture, dance,
music, sports and swimming.
Others took part in the camp’s
Special Needs All Together (SNAP)
program for campers 10-28 years
old, which saw campers on field
trips in the community ranging
from the Detroit River tour to the

zoo and Water Warrior Island.
A third group of campers, in the
Young Adults All Together (YAAT)
program, took part in vocational
and job skills training, heading
twice a week to job sites hosted
at The J and in the community.
Through that camp experience,
participants learned how to handle
money, talk to customers, learn a
menu, as well as other site-specific
skills. They also worked in the
dining room for Jewish Senior Life
and practiced practical life skills in
The J’s furnished apartment.
The J’s camp program is
important because it gives all
campers a chance to have a
summer camp experience, says Bri

Budai, senior director of JCC Day
Camps. New for camp this year, the
DSO came out to give a sensory-
friendly performance for the SNAP
and YAAT campers, among other
innovations, she says.
The program highlights building
friendships as well. “I had a mom
say that this is the first summer her
kid came home and asked if Mom
could reach out for the numbers
of friends they could have play
dates with,” she explains. “And they
wound up having playdates.”
Kathy Howells of Birmingham,
whose son Tyler Gagnon, 24, takes
part in Young Adults All Together,
says she appreciates the camp’s
transportation offering and also

The J of
ers three camp programs for
special needs families.

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE J

A Special
Kind of

Experience

SNAP
campers
having a
good time

Maddy Smith, a
SNAP program
participant

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE J

Nick Tompkins
and Riyiam
Holmes-McCoy at
the Toledo Zoo