For Campers

Click here and fill out a short form to be notified of when camp registration is available – Camp High Hopes is expected to start its first camp sessions sometime in 2012!

Children and adults of all ages with special needs come to Camp High Hopes throughout the year. Most of our campers have a mental and/or a physical disability. Campers can register for a daycamp session, weekend session, or a weeklong session. Our campers come from many different states like Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Camp is a place where individuals who are living with a special need can come and have a lot of fun, meet and make friends from different places and still get the medical attention they need.

Frequently Asked Questions for Campers

What do special needs individuals get out of a camp like Camp High Hopes?
Most parents tell the camp that it is the highlight of their year. Sometimes in mainstream schools campers do not excel as others do. At camp, they climb, swim, go canoeing and so much more. All of a sudden they are out in front of the other students. The campers have the opportunity to excel far beyond what they often thought they could do. Campers are homogeneously grouped, so one week might be all brain injury, another all muscular dystrophy, and yet another all visually impaired. The camper may be in a school system where they are, for example, the only one with MD. They come to camp and there are 80 others, so they have the opportunity to socialize with others who truly understand each other.

The camp experience is second to none… you can go to school for a year and never really know a classmate. However, when you spend morning, noon, and night for a week with someone they can form a closeness not found in any other environment. Also the closeness with the staff is second to none…many lasting relationships are started.

How do you register a camper at Camp High Hopes?
The steps to registering a camper will be available in 2011. Please check back or sign up to be on our mailing list to be notified when registration begins.

What is a typical day at Camp like?
Breakfast is at 8:30 every morning. Each morning you will go to a different activity area with your group. Lunch is at 12:30, then we have rest time or quiet time for an hour. In the afternoon you will do other activities. Dinner is at 5:30. Every evening we have different large group activities such as campfires, camp games, dances, and carnivals. Lights out is at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. depending on how old you are.

What will I eat at Camp?
There are three full meals served everyday in the camp lodge (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and snacks are available anytime during the day or evening – just ask your counselor and she or he will make sure you get a bite to eat between meals.

For vegetarians there is always a veggie dish available in the kitchen, which could be veggie pizza, roasted vegetables, or falafel.

If you have allergies or cannot eat certain foods because of diet needs or religious reasons, we make sure that the cook and counselors know this before your session begins. There will always be something tasty to keep you fueled for the day’s activities.

Who will take care of me?
Your Camp Counselor will live near your cabin and some of the counselors will spend the night in the cabins. They are there to make sure you are safe and mostly to be your friends. There are also nurses on site to make sure you get all the medical care you need.

Where will I sleep?
When you get to Camp you will move right into your cabin. You will share a big room with 4 other campers your own age. Camp Counselors will take turns spending the night in the cabin with you. The counselors are your teachers, supervisors, and most importantly your friends while you are at Camp.

What’s there to do for fun?
At Camp your small group will decide together what activities you will participate in while at Camp. Our activities include: Archery, Arts/Crafts, Canoeing, Creative Dramatics, Farm Experience, Fishing, Gym Activities, Hiking, Horseback Riding, Nature/Environmental Education, Outdoor Living Skills, Rock-wall Climbing, Snow Sledding, Sports and Games, Super Zip Line, Swimming, and Overnight Camping.

Will there be people like me at Camp?
There is a mix of people at camp at any given time, however most of the time the Camp places campers in small groups of 8 or less. Campers are placed in small groups with campers that are similar to them in gender, age, and ability. Everyone who attends has a special need or disability. There may be people with the same illness that you have or with different medical illnesses. Some people may look totally healthy, others use a wheelchair to get around or use a special computer to talk. Some need medications every day, others do not.

Where do campers come from?
Most of our campers come from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota. We also get some campers from states that are farther away such as Ohio and Colorado. There are even campers who may come internationally from Canada, Italy, Russia, and Germany.