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.

Gales Creek Camp is not a "diabetes boot camp." Far from it. Campers may learn something about managing their diabetes, but that's just part of being exposed to a diversity of medical providers and seeing how  their peers might do it differently. It's far more about peer-to-peer learning than it is about formal instruction, although our medical team is always there to teach campers the mechanics if needed.

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.

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

Did we mention Gales Creek Camp is ACA accredited? That means our camp meets national standards in safety, facilities, and programming.