Camp & Respite Services | Easterseals Wisconsin
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Imagine a place where campers with disabilities are free to be themselves and valued for it. Where they are able to try new things and make new friends in an accessible, inclusive, and fun environment. Campers of all ages and abilities can challenge themselves, set goals and accomplish them – making the most of their camp experience. In this relaxed environment, families and caregivers can be confident their loved one is safe and taken care of, and in return, they receive a respite. Campers will have the time of their lives at a place they’ll never forget.
Camp Wawbeek | Respite Camp | |
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Camper to Counselor Ratio | 1:3 | 1:1 / 1:2 |
Youth & Teen | Ages 7-18 | Ages 3-18 |
High-Functioning Autism | Ages 10-25 | Ages 7-20 |
Transitions Camp | Ages Ages 15-25 | |
Adult Sessions | Ages 18+ | Ages 18+ |
Older Adult Sessions | Ages 40+ | Ages 40+ |
Pioneer Camp | Outdoor Camp for Ages 18+ | Outdoor Camp for Ages 18+ |
Overnight | Yes | Yes |
Inclusive Activities | Yes | Yes |
Veterans Family Camp | Veterans & Family Only |
Camp Locations
*Please click on the camp’s name for driving directions*
Easterseals Camp Wawbeek
1450 Highway 13
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Phone: 608-254-8319
Fax: 608-254-8310
Wisconsin Elks/Easterseals Respite Camp
1550 Waubeek Road
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Phone: 608-254-2502
Fax: 608-253-3027
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Camp Activities
At Easterseals Wisconsin Camps, campers enjoy exploring the outdoors, living in a group setting that encourages social growth, and learning about themselves through our Challenge by Choice philosophy. Campers are encouraged to achieve their goals and try new things while we provide them with a safe environment in which they can go beyond their comfort level.
Our accessible camps share over 400 beautifully-wooded acres near Wisconsin Dells. Both Camp Wawbeek and Respite Camp provide a unique environment that allows campers to experience and learn things that parents and caregivers may not have the expertise, time, financial resources, or energy to provide. Our programming ensures that activities will be educational and always while having fun! Campers have the opportunity to participate in age-appropriate, accessible activities which may include:
- Arts & Crafts
- Archery
- Climbing Wall
- Nature Programs
- Singing & Dancing
- Zip Line
- Games & Recreation
- Fishing
- High Ropes Course
- Swimming
- Canoeing
- Dances
- Campfires
- Pontoon Boat Rides
- Field Trips
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Camp Wawbeek
The longest continuously-operating Easterseals camp in the nation, Camp Wawbeek began providing services to children and adults with physical disabilities in 1938. By striving to keep pace with the changing needs of our campers and community, Camp Wawbeek continues to evolve and thrive.
For any questions you may have regarding Camp Wawbeek, please contact our Camp office via e-mail or by phone at 608.254.8319 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message. To view the latest Camp Wawbeek schedule, please visit our calendar. To find out how to register for Camp Wawbeek, visit our registration page.
Staff
Camp Wawbeek has a registered nurse living on-site and one counselor for every two-three campers. Provided they are able to succeed in a small group setting, all campers with physical or mild cognitive disabilities or those who need behavior support can attend Camp Wawbeek. Counselors are trained to meet the individual needs of each camper whether that’s assisting with personal care or providing emotional and social support as campers make new friends and try new activities. Parents and caregivers can take comfort in knowing that their loved one’s needs are being met, allowing them the opportunity to relax and reconnect with family and friends.
Program Activities
There is always something to do at Camp Wawbeek. When campers aren’t boating, fishing, hiking or swimming, they’re playing basketball, painting, racing through obstacle courses, exploring attractions in Wisconsin Dells, or flying through the air on a zip line! Everything is fully accessible and campers are encouraged to challenge themselves with new experiences and set goals for new accomplishments.
For campers of all ages, there is time to relax, make new friends, and reminisce with old ones. Evenings bring campfires, dances, special events, and each day ends with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Who Can Attend?
Camp Wawbeek serves children and adults – age 7 and older. During the summer, six-day Youth and Teen sessions are available as well as six-day Adult, Young Adult, and Transition sessions. Sessions are also available various weekends from September through May.
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Adult Sessions (18+)
Camp Wawbeek divides its weekend and summer sessions by age, to provide engaging activities for the entire group, and encourage social development.
- Adults Sessions
- Older Adults
- Pioneer Camp
For any questions you may have regarding our Adult Sessions, please contact our Camp office via e-mail or by phone at 608.254.8319 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message. To view the latest Camp Wawbeek schedule, please visit our calendar. To find out how to register for camp, visit our registration page.
Adults
The general Adults Session is for anyone age 18 and older. This camp includes all of the fun activities you would want at summer camp with people your own age.
Older Adults
This camp session is for older adults, age 40 and older. If you are over the age of 40, however, you can attend ANY of the adult sessions, not just the Older Adults session.
Pioneer Camp
This program is designed for the adventurous-at-heart. Campers not only participate in the traditional programming at camp which includes canoeing, fishing, and swinging down the zip line on our accessible high ropes course, they take it a step further. To test their pioneering spirit, they also journey to a state park where activities include hiking, cooking over an open fire, and sleeping out under the stars. Campers in these sessions spend as much time outside as they can. Campers must be aware that they will NOT be staying in the lodges, but camping outside.
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Youth & Teen sessions (Ages 7-18)
Just as Camp Wawbeek has specific weekend and summer sessions for adults, there are specific dates for youth as well. The Youth and Teen Sessions are for ages 7-18 with a special 4-day holiday session taking place between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
- Transitions or Young Adult sessions
- High-Functioning Autism
For any questions you may have regarding our Youth and Teen sessions, please contact our Camp office via e-mail or by phone at 608.254.8319 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message. To view the latest Camp Wawbeek schedule, please visit our calendar. To find out how to register for these sessions, visit our registration page.
Transitions Program
Transitions Camp weekend sessions are held throughout the school year and summer at Camp Wawbeek for campers ages 15-25 who are ready to learn about setting goals, caring for themselves independently, work, money, how to cook, and how to work together with peers. Activities are intentionally planned to learn something new while also having fun – exactly what camp is all about! Campers who meet the Camp Wawbeek criteria are able to attend the Transitions program.
High-Functioning Autism
Approximately 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism. To help meet the needs of this growing population, Easterseals Wisconsin has created sessions for campers ages 7-20 with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism (HFA) spectrum disorders. These sessions are for campers who have a primary diagnosis of HFA, Tourette Syndrome/OCD, ADD/ADHD, or similar traits.
Campers are divided into age groups and take full advantage of Easterseals Wisconsin’s 400 beautifully-wooded acres as they engage in age-appropriate activities designed to promote positive social interactions. Our well-trained staff members are always on hand to encourage participation in activities, and to assist in fostering relationships between the campers, helping them to form friendships with their peers. They also ensure that each camper’s emotional needs are met.
Respite Camp
Respite Camp is a safe and nurturing place where campers are provided with the care and support they need while their parents and caregivers can take a break from the day-to-day caregiving role they find themselves in.
Operating year-round, the Wisconsin Elks/Easterseals Respite Camp is unique. Not only are we one of the only programs in Wisconsin that provides overnight, individualized respite care, but we also accept campers with severe and multiple disabilities who have been turned down by many other programs. Our focus is on our campers. We want to provide them with a similar camp experience their peers are able to have, while providing a respite to their families and caregivers.
Staff
We provide individualized support and care at Respite Camp, and strive to help campers improve their social skills by matching them with other campers of their age in a group of two staff with three campers or two staff with four campers. This ratio is continuously maintained by our experienced program and leadership staff, stepping in when needed for that extra support. Each camper’s around-the-clock counselors ensure that the camper’s daily routine is maintained at camp. These trained and caring counselors are assisted by 24-hour program staff and volunteers and are supported with the expertise of our on-site registered nurse. Parents and caregivers can take comfort in knowing that their loved one’s needs are being met.
Program Activities
This is where the fun begins! The small ratios that Respite Camp provides leads to activities that can be carefully tailored to meet the recreational, social, and emotional needs of each and every camper.
Campers can take part in tractor-trailer rides, enjoy swimming and nature hikes, and experience the thrill of our high ropes course, climbing walls, and zip lines. A variety of arts, crafts, sports, and games are offered (on rainy days and in cold weather, we have a gym full of equipment so that the fun is uninterrupted), and our accessible playground and sensory rooms are available at all times. There are also field trips to pumpkin patches, zoos, and attractions in nearby Wisconsin Dells.
For any questions you may have regarding Respite Camp, please contact our Camp office via e-mail or by phone at 608.254.2502 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message. To view the latest Respite Camp schedule, please visit our calendar. To find out how to register for Respite camp, visit our registration page.
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Veterans Family Camp
Twice a year, a free Veterans Family Camp weekend is held at Easterseals Wisconsin Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells for military veterans and their families. One weekend takes place in the fall and one in the spring. Click here for the most recent calendar dates. These weekends are meant for families to reconnect with each other and network with other veterans while having a fun and relaxing weekend with many optional planned activities. Activities include: fishing, archery, high-ropes course, arts and crafts, making s’mores, and other “Dells” activities such as a trip to a water park.
Who can attend?
Family members may include spouse or significant other, children, parents, grandparents, etc. The camp is available to all veterans, recently-returned or those whose service was far in the past. Private to semi-private family lodging, food, all activities and trips are included, in a beautifully-wooded 400 hundred acre setting just outside the city of Wisconsin Dells.
Additional Information
If you, or someone you know, is a veteran who might be interested, please contact our Camp office via e-mail or by phone at 608. 254.2502 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message. The Veterans Family Camp weekend is offered at no cost to the veteran or their family through generous contributions to Easterseals Wisconsin.
Register Today!
Sponsor a Veteran!
The biannual Veterans Family Camp relies on donations from the community. Easterseals Wisconsin’s partnership with AmeriCorps makes possible the Veterans Coordinator position. In this role, the AmeriCorps member serves as the community outreach liaison. They are responsible for conducting campership mailings in search of funding, coordinating with veteran groups for recruitment, and Easterseals Wisconsin staff and volunteers to ensure that camp runs smoothly and everyone attending has a great time.
Would you like to sponsor a veteran and their family through a Veterans Family Camp Campership? Donations ensure that we are able to continue offering this camp FREE of charge to these courageous individuals who have served our country and protected our freedom!
Donate to Sponsor a Veteran!
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Camp Registration | Easterseals Wisconsin
Home / Programs & Services / Camp & Respite Services / Camp Registration
Please login with your current user name and password. If you have trouble with your login, contact the CampWise Tech Support team at 866.433.4548.
Once your application has been submitted you will be placed on a waitlist. Our Camp Directors will then register campers from the waitlist. Offering programs throughout the year means a large number of camper registrations to review. Our Camp Directors will review applications for the earliest programs first. Summer registration opens January 2023 and school year registration opens September 2022. All session registrations are dependent on staff numbers. If/when a camper has been selected and changes from waitlisted status to registered status for the session(s), an email confirming the change will be sent.
For the 2022-2023 camp schedule, please view the Camp Calendar.
Order Your Camp Swag!
- Camp Registration or Veterans Family Camp Registration or choose from the list of paper applications listed below, complete the form, and mail it in. Email or call us at 608.254.
2502 ext. 191 or dial 0 to leave a message) to receive an application by mail.
- You will receive an EMAIL confirming waitlist status. If/when the camper has been selected and changes from waitlisted status to registered status for the session(s), an email confirming the registration will be sent. If you do not have email, the registration status change will be sent by mail. If paying privately and you find you are unable to pay or have questions, please contact the Billing Department by email or phone at 608.237.1372 prior to a registered session. If you believe that your family will require assistance to pay for a camp session, please fill out the campership form and return to Easterseals Wisconsin within 10 days of enrollment. If you have questions about camperships, please call 608.237.1372. Please add [email protected] and [email protected] to your email’s safe senders list if you applied online.
- If we do not have a current Medical Examination Form for you already on file, schedule a physical and have your physician complete this Medical Examination Form. The Medical Examination Form is good for one year from the doctor’s exam date on the form. We must have a form on file that was completed within the last 12 months.
- Registered Status Campers: Ahead of the confirmed camp session, campers will receive an invite via email to Campdoc.com where you will upload the signed Medical Examination Form, Covid vaccination card, list current medications and any additional health history. Two weeks prior to your session date, you will receive a reminder packet with additional information to prepare for camp by mail. Any amount owed will be listed on the session notification. You may either pay ahead by mail, pay through the online registration system, or at camp by the due date. Please contact the Billing Department at 608.237.1372 with any questions.
ATTENTION: Please read through the mandates for the Easterseals Wisconsin Camps COVID-19 Plan. Our first priority is always to keep our campers, staff, and families safe. Please be aware that to do this, we will be holding smaller sessions which will impact the number of sessions you are allowed to attend. Our directors and medical staff will do their best to allow as many opportunities as safely possible, but it will not be the same as past years.
Campers need to have two Measles Vaccinations on Record (WIR) to be cleared for attendance OR a Measles titer indicating that they are immune.
Campers who have only received one dosage of the vaccine should be boostered two weeks before attending camp for vaccine effectiveness.
If camper has not been vaccinated in the past, but received their first dose a minimum of 2 weeks before camp and a maximum of 6 months prior to camp, they are considered immune at this time. If the initial dose is older than 6 months, campers will need a second vaccination or titer before attending camp.
Bullying
Bullying is when one or more people exclude, tease, taunt, gossip, or put down another person with the intent to hurt another. Bullying happens when a person or group of people want to have power over anther and use their power to get their way, at the expense of someone else. Bullying can also happen through cyberspace, through the use of emails, text messaging, instant messaging, personal Web sites and other less direct methods. This type of bullying can also lead to persons being hurt during or between the camp seasons and be especially hurtful when persons are targeted with meanness and exclusion. Bullying is inexcusable at Camp. Each camper is expected to treat all other campers with respect, and to help each other achieve the best possible experience. If a camper has difficulty meeting this expectation, parents may be called upon to assist. We work together as a team to ensure that campers gain self-confidence, make new friends, and go home with great camp memories. Our leadership addresses all incidents of bullying seriously and trains staff to promote communication with their campers so both staff and campers will be comfortable alerting us to any problems during their camp experience.
We can’t manage an incident if we don’t know about it. Every person has the right to expect to have the best possible experience at camp, and by working together as a team to identify and manage bullying, we can help ensure that all campers and staff have a great summer at Camp.
Fighting
Camp does not tolerate campers who harm other campers; whether it is physical or verbal fighting, including degrading, demeaning, threatening other campers or staff, or making fun of others. Any camper involved in fighting is subject to discipline and may be sent home. The parent/guardian is contacted by the Camp Director.
Intimidation
Any camper found to be harassing, making fun of, or intimidating another camper is subject to disciplinary actions, and may be sent home.
Obscenity
Obscene, profane or vulgar language; written, oral, or expressed by symbols is not tolerated. Being respectful to staff and other campers is important and expected. Any camper who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and may be sent home.
Cell Phones
Please do not send cell phones to camp. If parents/guardians need to contact their camper during the session, they are asked to call or email the camp office and talk to the Camp Director. Campers should not use cellphones to call home and asked to be picked up. Arrangements for early departure from camp should be communicated through the director. We do understand adult campers may use cell phones in different ways than children, please keep this in mind when packing for camp.
Inappropriate Physical Touch
Please talk with your camper about appropriate relationships at camp. At no time shall campers kiss, or touch each other without permission. Campers who intentionally sneak away from the group to kiss or engage in other inappropriate behavior will follow these steps:
- Each camper will talk with camp leadership about the choice they made.
Camp leadership will document the incident and conversation with the camper. Expectation will be reiterated with the camper about staying with their group. A phone call may be made home.
- If the behavior continues, step 1 will be repeated and a phone call home with the camper will be made. Discussion with camper about safety and staying with the group will take place.
- If the behavior continues, camp leadership and camper family will determine if camp is the right environment for the camper. Camper safety will take priority and the camper/campers may be sent home.
Visitors
We ask that visits only happen during the designated times on check-in or check-out days. While Camp is an open environment, well-meaning visits disrupt camp programs. We must have knowledge of who is on camp and where, at all times. Unknown or unannounced visitors pose a risk to the safety of everyone at camp. All visitors must report to the camp office or director to check in, and follow on-site protocol.
Behavior Management Policy
We believe that every camper has the right to experience camp and all it has to offer. We believe in setting limits and explaining the boundaries for all participants. When these boundaries are tested, we use specific procedures to help the camper to continue their experience at camp. All of our staff receives training in these procedures, behavior support and strategies. On the first day of camp our staff will go over the camp expectations and ground rules of camp life. Campers have the opportunity to ask questions about policies and rules, so that everyone is clear about expectations. Please start setting the expectation with your campers before arrival to camp.
Procedures We Follow:
- The camper’s Counselor will speak with the camper and check whether the camper understands why the behavior is unacceptable and knows what the consequences are. The Counselor will restate the desired behavior, with clear consequences given for not following the desired behavior.
The removal of a camper from a problem situation may be a consequence in this first stage. Removal gives the camper time to calm down, reflect on their actions and the staff a chance to discuss with the camper what happened.
- If the behavior is repeated, the Counselor will let the camper know that this is still unacceptable and will then involve the leadership and/or Camp Director. At this stage, Camp will contact the parent or guardian of the camper to make them aware of the situation and to ask for cooperation and insight.
- If the behavior persists, the Camp Director will determine if the camper should remain at camp or be sent home. Parents will need to make transportation arrangements, and there are no refunds for campers sent home for behavioral reasons.
- There are some actions that may warrant immediate removal from camp. These actions include, but are not limited to; using alcohol or illegal drugs, stealing, endangering their own safety or the safety of staff or campers, or other behavior that has no direct correlation to the camper’s diagnosis.
This discipline policy attempts to let campers know that while they are cared for, certain behaviors are not acceptable in our camp setting. This policy also involves the parents before the problems escalate, and invites them to be a part of the solution.
Severe Behavior
While Camp strives to be all-inclusive, campers with severe emotional disturbances or intentional physical behavior that may harm others may not be able to participate effectively. We attempt to support campers of all abilities, but we must all be aware of our limits as a camp team.
Damage of Camp Property
We understand that accidents happen, and things get damaged through everyday use. Intentional damage of camp property, or the property of others is unacceptable. In the event of intentional damage of property, the family of the camper responsible for will be asked to pay for damages. Receipts for damaged property will be provided, and the family will be asked to give payment to camp or the family of the damaged property.