Ages/Life Stage:

Ages five to 21 years and up

Locations:

Halifax – Spryfield Lion’s Rink and Recreation Centre
Dartmouth – Port Wallis United Church

Application:

Application 5-12 years old: April 4th 2023 @12:00PM (noon)

Application 13-17 years old: April 5th 2023 @12:00PM (noon)

Application 18+ years old: April 6th 2023 @12:00PM (noon)

Application is on a first come, first serve basis for your appropriate age group. There is no longer early application for membership holders. Your spot in camp is not guaranteed; until you receive a confirmation email from our camp team.

Description:

In 2020, Ben James Autism Summer Camp began offering sessions for adults aged 21 and older. To accommodate the greater numbers of autistic children, youth and adults seeking a summer camp experience, the camp moved from a two-week program to one week of full-days. The camp has received recognition over its 20 years, including numerous media features and in 2020 it was awarded the Invisible Champion Award from the Bhayana Foundation for developing and offering a “pandemic-safe” version of the summer day camp model that was then used by other camps across Nova Scotia.

During each week of camp, campers have recreational and social opportunities that they wouldn’t have access to throughout summer months. Campers’ experiences are individualized and staff and volunteers work with each camper to determine what they want ‘camp’ to look like for them. This allows campers a sense of empowerment – as one camper put it, “I love that they say yes to all of my ideas!”