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Quest Camp is Well Named – a Journey to Selfhood

At Quest Camp, the youngest children start the day with “Open Activities.” They read, play games or draw and socialize in a no-stress environment. With diagnoses of ADHD, autism, anxiety, etc., this time helps them ease into a structured day. Along with typical summer camp activities will come encouragement to discover their strengths and talents, exercise control over their actions by making good choices, establish relationships, and most important, accept themselves.

Older campers like 10th grader Max Fischer demonstrate all the wonderful possibilities of successive years of Quest. You may remember him as the young man who shared his story at JFCS’s Annual Meeting in May. Friendly and articulate, Max’s current goal is to move
toward attending public high school. He’s also thoughtful: another goal is to think more about how what he says affects other people. And he has long-term plans; he wants to be a teacher.

JFCS invests in this therapeutic experience to help Max, and many more children, make the journey from needing frequent direction and guidance to independently making good choices and setting his own course. It’s hard for most of us to imagine the challenges that “neurodiverse” children face in a “neurotypical” world. Quest Camp offers them acceptance, confidence in their abilities and the opportunity to connect with peers who have common interests and experiences. Quest Camp is a journey to selfhood.

Photos: (top) Quest Camp – Miss Selena and Miss Ellen’s classroom (bottom) Max Fischer – the S’mores king!