Camps
Summer camp can be a transformative experience for any child, but it's especially powerful for a kid growing up with type 1 diabetes. Not only do they get the all-important typical benefits of summer camp—like greater independence, relationship building skills, and a love for the outdoors—Gales Creek Campers meet peers, mentors, and role models who are all facing the very same challenges they are. That can have a significant impact on how they see themselves and their own potential.
Our regular resident camps are one week long, starting Sunday afternoon and going through Friday morning. Campers are eligible for resident camps in the summer following 2nd grade.
We have weekend family camps for kids coming out of kindergarten and first grade.
To learn more about the many benefits kids get from our camp, explore our website. Under the ABOUT and CAMPS tabs above, you will learn everything there is to know about Gales Creek Camp.
To understand the challenges Gales Creek Camp is addressing, read through our Mission, Values, Vision, and Goals.
To read the science behind summer camp for kids with diabetes, read the study, "Diabetes Camp Still Matters," below.
To learn more about the benefits of summer camp in general, check out this American Camp Association article from Andy Pritikin (February 2020) and watch the videos from the ACA below.
Unfamiliar with the benefits of summer camp? Check out these videos from the American Camp Association.
Or read this recent study on why summer camp is especially important for kids with type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes Camp Still Matters. Pediatric Diabetes 2019 (002).pdf