Virtual Voices Camp 2007

Picture a summer camp…the typical kid’s scene of crazy camp songs, funny skits, campfires and adventure activities.  Virtual Voices is all very typical except for one thing…all of the campers are “cool communicators”.  They use computers or other electronic devices to communicate.  Fifteen non-verbal students from across BC gathered for five days at the end of August 2007 at the BC Lions’ Easter Seals Camp Squamish for the 7th annual Virtual Voices Camp. This camp, co-sponsored by the Lions and SET-BC, was a great opportunity for campers to enjoy the incredible experiences of summer camp while focusing on the development of their communication skills using their devices.

The campers were organized into buddy groups supported by camp counsellors and programmers, as well as Personal Support Workers as needed. The highly skilled counsellors provided by Easter Seal camps across the province are experienced in caring for campers with special needs while still providing memorable zany experiences, songs, and fostering friendships.

Morning activities promoted communication and device competencies, facilitated by a creative communication team, composed of nine Speech Language Pathologists and representatives from device manufacturers. The team with a ratio of 2 campers to 1 SLP, worked tirelessly to program devices with camp related vocabulary, develop activities to support the Cool Communicators and News Reporting theme, answer questions, and trial new strategies and equipment. Activities focused on learning to ask questions by doing interviews with other campers and playing games such as charades and a Boardmaker adapted version of “Guess Who” with the campers faces altered with hats, crazy coloured hair, beards and moustaches.  Campers learned to perform “cool” device functions such as operating remote controls (including a Frisbee shooting robot), importing music on sound files and songs through recording, operating a switch activated camera and accessing computers for writing.

In the afternoons, campers had the opportunity to jump on the trampoline, soar on the giant swing, scale a climbing wall, navigate the low ropes course, swim in the pool, do arts and crafts including tie dying and paper mache, participate in campfires, have a campout, dance and sing camp songs.  This year at camp we had a special visitor.  A local black bear was spotted several times offering several photo opportunities.  Wild rabbits and frogs are also frequent visitors.
The last night featured a banquet at which the campers enjoyed a special meal followed by a slide show of action photos throughout camp, songs and performance of their “news” skits. At the final breakfast, campers received awards for their many accomplishments. 

This was truly a summer experience to be cherished by the campers and adults alike! 
For more on this camp, please follow the links to Virtual Voices Village provided on this website.  Registration for Virtual Voices is through the BC Lions Easter Seals Camp website in the spring (www.lionsbc.ca/programs/camps ).

Contributed by Kathy Ryan & Yvonne Green, SET-BC Consultants