June 17 – Arrival Day
The Living Independently campers' evening activities on Sunday began after registration with an informal cook out on the lawn at ISVI. The campers then met briefly in the dormitory to discuss camp rules, meet staff, share information about themselves and outline the week’s activities. They then had an opportunity to unpack and get their belongings put away for the week.

At 8:00 that evening, a "mixer" dance was held for campers in the lower level of the Unit 2 dormitory where campers from the older three camps resided during the week. The dance provided an opportunity for campers to meet each other and have a chance to get to know one another from the Fine Arts Camp, Technology Camp and Living Independently Camp. The D.J. for the dance was one of ISVI's educators.

Meals & Breaks
Breakfast each day was from 7:15 until 8:00 served in ISVI's Dining Hall. Educators met the campers at breakfast each morning to escorted campers to the classroom areas for the daily sessions that ran Monday through Thursday from 8:00 until 3:30. A mid-morning and afternoon break was provided in ISVI's Snack Bar where healthy snacks were provided. Each day campers were escorted to the Dining Hall for each meal with lunch being served between 11:15 and 1:15. Dinner each evening was scheduled from 5:00 until 6:00.

ISVI Educational Staff–Living Independently Camp
The ISVI educators who worked with your child in Living Independently Camp during the Day Sessions were: Brenda Christian and Vicki Mullis. The educators who directed the evening activities for the campers from Fine Arts, Technology and Living Independently Camps were Martha Hauck, Megan McGuire, Stephanie Provence and Pat Wright.

Daily Sessions
This year, there were five young people in the Living Independently Camp. Each day the campers were involved in various activities including food preparation, organizational skill, communication skills, adult daily living, and college awareness. An assortment of adaptations for all of these areas were discussed and explored.

The campers had experience with housekeeping skills such as laundering clothing, washing/drying dishes, cleaning counters and tables. The campers did some simple cooking which involved using the oven, coffee maker and microwave oven. Organizational skills were discussed and demonstrated. Materials for labeling food, appliances, clothing and personal hygiene products were shown and resources were given including Wal-Mart, catalogs and Internet web sites. Social skills and safety skills for home and community were discussed at various times and practiced throughout camp. College/Vocational Training preparation courses were discussed and campers were encouraged to explore these opportunities with their individual home schools. Steps for college entrance were thoroughly explained and all questions were answered. Self-advocacy was also discussed in great detail and the importance of such was impressed upon the campers and practiced throughout each day at camp.

The campers went taken on several field trips this year. They went to the Springfield Center for Independent Living where they had a tour and an explanation of the services available to them. They also went to the Illinois Assistive Technology Program where they explored both high- and low-technology devices which could be borrowed before purchase. The campers enjoyed lunch out where they practiced their social and eating skills. While on the field trip in Springfield, campers experienced an Orientation and Mobility lesson, utilizing mass transit and making many street crossings. They toured Lincoln Land Community College, asking questions about college admission and the pros & cons of a community college versus attending a four-year university. Campers then traveled to the Illinois Employment and Training Center. Once there, campers were given a tour, had the center's available services explained to them and experienced the assistive technology available for use at the IETC in Jacksonville. It was then explained to all campers that the Centers for Independent Living and the Illinois Employment and Training Centers are located throughout Illinois and that each camper is eligible to use the services that are provided by each resource.

Campers also had the opportunity to listen to a presentation provided by two guest speakers. The first was Paul Drake, ISVI's Director of Business Development and Employment. Mr. Drake explained the school employment programs that can be available in each camper's home school. He discussed the value of having a strong work ethic and the importance of having several

job-shadowing experiences. The second guest speaker was from the Illinois Extension Office. This individual addressed the importance of label reading on all food products, explaining what each area meant, how calories are measured, and about how carbonated liquids affect our bodies.

During the course of the week, campers prepared a variety of food items that included monster cookies, Chex Mix and cereal bars. This allowed campers to utilize a wide range of skills that included measuring, mixing, using various kitchen appliances and related clean-up for such devices. The group made the decision to share the fruits of their labor with a variety of people at the closing program as a way to say, "thank you" for a great week. Each camper also got to take a bag of goodies home to share with their families.

Overall, this was a good week for each of the campers. This group of young people shared their ideas, assisted each other, answered questions and was eager to learn and experience all that was offered. They were a pleasure to work with as well as being a great group of young adults. Everyone involved learned a great deal and had a lot of fun while doing so!

Evening Recreational Activities
Each evening, dinner was served in the Dining Hall from 5:00 until 6:00. The evening recreation activities began at 6:00 and ended at 8:30. From 8:30 until 9:30 campers from the older three camps were taken to ISVI's Snack Bar where they could play air hockey, pool, various arcade games, purchase soft drinks, snacks and socialize with one another. At 9:30 campers were escorted to the dormitory to begin showers and preparations for bed with all campers having to be in their rooms by 10:15 and lights out by 10:30 each night.

The campers from the older three camps–Fine Arts, Technology and Living Independently were divided up into four groups. Each night of the week–Monday through Thursday, campers rotated each night between four different recreational activities; bowling, games, a campus-wide scavenger hunt and swimming in ISVI's swimming pool.

Bowling
Each evening after dinner, a group of campers and Illinois School of the Visually Impaired (ISVI) summer camp staff loaded into vans or a bus for the trip to the Bowling Inn in Jacksonville, Illinois or the Winchester Bowl in Winchester, Illinois. The ride there was filled with talking, joking, and music. Campers renewed old friendships and made new ones. Upon arrival, the campers requested their bowling shoes and selected their ball.

Each camper's names/initials were entered into the electronic score board, and the games began! Gutter guards and ball ramps were used to assist most of the campers. Campers were eager to help each other with the equipment and gave bowling tips. Each time a camper threw a bowling ball down the lane, other campers would listen with anticipated excitement. When the pins were struck, the cheers of support went out, campers jumped up and down and gave each other "high fives!"

There was lots of cheering because there was numerous strikes and spares! Campers demonstrated great sportsmanship! All of the campers had a great time and received a certificate that included their final bowling scores.

Games
As each group of campers progress through the recreational activities, one evening, they were escorted to the Snack Bar where they had the opportunity to play several different games. Campers played a couple games of Left-Right each night and many games of BINGO for prizes. The campers suggested many variations of how to win at BINGO, and several campers had a chance to do the number calling.

Scavenger Hunt
Each evening's activity group that were scheduled for the Scavenger Hunt were divided into small groups of two to four campers each. Using the entire campus, campers looked for and found riddles as clues that were provided in either enlarged print or Braille that would direct them to the next clue. Some of the stops that the campers found clues to were the pool, gym, athletic track, swings, unit 2-dormitory, dining hall, auditorium, main building, library, orientation & mobility garden, Transitional Living Center, playground area, and unit 18-dormitory.

The campers worked hard to figure out each riddle, and traveled together to their next stop. The various groups of campers travel around the campus while being supervised by the educator in charge of the activity and her assistants. This helped many of the campers learn a great deal about traveling around the ISVI campus, practiced some great mobility skills, and applied some skills in small-group interaction and cooperation through their willingness and need to work together. On Monday the scavenger hunt was rained out so instead, campers made a scrapbook photo album.

Swimming
Campers were escorted to the ISVI pool by the educator and her support staff. The first few minutes was spent going over several safety rules with the campers so that everyone would practice safe water practices. The campers were then divided into two groups and played a number of different games such as Ice Melt, Pass the Football, Noodle Races and Diving for Diving Sticks & Treasures. The games allowed the lifeguard to evaluate campers' swimming skills and abilities. When the games ended, campers were allowed time for free swimming. All campers enjoyed the opportunity to be in the pool for swimming activities with the free-swimming time being their favorite!

Dormitory & Dinner
Campers from the older three camps resided in Unit 2 that is divided into four pods and a common or "core" area in the middle. The girls lived in the Blue and the Green Pods while the boys lived in the Khaki pod. Besides individual bedroom areas, in each pod there is a living room and kitchen area where televisions, couches, chairs, stove, microwave, sink, etc. are available. Campers either had a single roommate or a room to themselves. Healthy snack foods were always available and provided in each pod if campers wanted to have a snack.

Each of the three daily meals was served in the Dining Hall located in the center of the campus. For each meal, campers went through the food line cafeteria style with assistance being provided to anyone who needed help. Campers were also provided assisted in locating a table so each could sit where and with whom they would like. Meals were planned and organized by ISVI's dietary manager.

All staff involved in the Living Independently Camp thank you for allowing your child to spend the week with us here at ISVI's Summer Camp! All campers had a great time making new friends, learning new skills, and experiencing summer camp. We are hopeful your child will choose to join us again next summer! We wish you and your child a pleasant remainder of the summer months.

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