Pine Tree Society Blog

Our campers need us: You can help

tami on June 26, 2020

“In every challenge lives a greater opportunity.”

As we mark Pine Tree Camp’s 75^th anniversary, this quote could not ring truer.

In mid-March, as Maine shut down as a result of COVID-19, Pine Tree Camp opened. We opened two months early. Why? Schools were closed. Services that people with disabilities rely on were suspended.

Our campers needed us.

We launched Pine Tree Camp to You just a few days after Maine’s stay at home order was established. This remote daily programming allowed campers to connect with each other, engage in meaningful activities and get outside. The response to this remote programming has confirmed something we’ve always known:

Pine Tree Camp isn’t just about being on North Pond in the summertime. It is about being a part of a family.

When it became clear Pine Tree Camp would not be able to safely provide its typical programming, our team took everything we’ve learned over the past three months and designed six weeklong Pine Tree Camp to You summer sessions. Each week will revolve around a theme like Nature, Drama or Science and campers will receive a curated activity box containing everything they need to participate.

Starting in July, Maine people with disabilities and their families will also be welcome to visit Pine Tree Camp as part of our new Adventure Day Pass. Adventure Day Pass is designed to provide safe day use of Pine Tree Camp’s fully accessible 285-acre campus. All of Pine Tree Camp’s signature outdoor activities will be available – hiking on accessible nature trails, boating, kayaking, fishing and swimming, archery – all provided in a physically distanced manner supported by experienced staff.

You can help. In fact, we need you more than ever. Your gift now will help us connect with every Maine child and adult who needs us. You can make a difference at this challenging time.

We thank you for your continued support. Words cannot express our gratitude to you.

Sincerely,

Noel Sullivan
President and CEO

P.S. Your gift today will make a difference. Please give today.

Pine Tree Camp set the stage for independence

tami on June 26, 2020

“My parents wanted me to have increased independence away from home and Pine Tree Camp was the first real outlet for that. It set the stage for some other things to happen in my life that were important.”

That’s how Craig Popper described his experience at Pine Tree Camp when he was in 8^th grade. Now in his 30s, he’s a lawyer living in Chicago.

“I remember when we were considering whether or not to send him to Pine Tree Camp,” his mother, Bonnie, said. “We kept thinking of reasons why we shouldn’t and every time we’d come up with a reason why it would be too hard for him to go, the camp staff would say ‘Oh, that’s okay, we deal with that all the time.’ Whatever we threw at them they said they could handle it. We knew we didn’t have to spend the whole week worrying because they gave us so much confidence.”

“I think once my Mom and Dad felt comfortable that I could be at away from home and be more independent, that made them feel more comfortable that, under the right set of circumstances, I could do some other things,” said Craig.

He remembered Pine Tree Camp staff “being light years ahead of the general public in terms of being able to accommodate and cater to everyone’s needs.”

“Sometimes when a kid goes to Pine Tree Camp, it’s their only opportunity to socialize and feel like a normal person,” he said. “The fact that the staff could make that happen so easily and genuinely is a credit to the infrastructure and legacy that has been built there.”

Cerebral Palsy affected Craig’s ability to walk but his upper body was strong and allowed him to develop a passion for wheelchair basketball.

“By the time I was a sophomore in high school, I was going away all summer long to wheelchair basketball camp,” Craig continued. “It was nerve-wracking for my parents to take the leap of faith and let me fly alone for the first time to spend the summer 1,300 miles from home. I don’t think that would have happened without me first having gone to Pine Tree Camp. We had to take incremental steps towards more independence. If I wasn’t able to fly to go to those camps during high school, who knows what would have happened.”

Craig’s success at the sport propelled him to attend an out of state college with a wheelchair basketball program where he earned a degree in education before attending law school.

“When I look back, I can see how it all fits together,” he said.

For Bonnie, Craig’s outgoing personality traces back to his early experience at Pine Tree Camp. “He’s had many positive situations in his life come about due to his willingness and ability to reach out to people. He can talk with anybody and is accepting of everybody. He learned those important social skills at Pine Tree Camp.”

Pine Tree Camp to You: How it works

tami on June 23, 2020

Pine Tree Camp to You is, quite simply, a virtual summer camp experience for Maine people with disabilities.

Pine Tree Camp’s team of professionals has designed a fully accessible curriculum that connects campers and creates opportunities for staying active and trying new things through a series of six, week-long remote summer camp sessions.

Here’s how Pine Tree Camp to You summer sessions work:

Select Your Session

There are six week-long, themed sessions to choose from. Campers are welcome to register for more than one week.

Open Your Activity Box

Registered campers will receive a curated activity box containing everything they need for the week including materials, instructions and a step-by-step story board for each self-guided activity; including favorite Pine Tree Camp traditions such as Wish Boats, tie-dye, s’mores and keeping a journal.

We took careful consideration when developing materials and each box includes instructions with examples of modifications that can be made for every ability, such as using hand grippers for journaling.

Click on the Website

In addition to the Activity Box, campers will gain access to a password protected page on the Pine Tree Camp website where they’ll find pre-recorded videos, downloadable materials and other resources to help complete each activity in the box.

All pre-recorded videos are interpreted, have closed captioning and the option to turn on audio to describe.

Throughout the videos, there are specific examples provided for how to modify activities if campers need to do things in a different way. For example, Zumba, backyard golf and obstacle courses can all be done standing or seated in a chair.

There are crafts and games planned for each week, but a special emphasis is placed on getting outdoors. For example, to play tic tac toe, campers are encouraged to find rocks, paint them, then create a board with masking tape on a table outside.

Sidewalk chalk drawings lead to hop scotch, complete with modifications, and creating handprints that involve physical activity to create, such as bending over and practicing balance.

One video series will take campers on a walk at Pine Tree Camp highlighting the plants, trees and animals seen along the way. In another video, campers will take a boat ride around North Pond observing an eagles nest and catching fish. Campers are then encouraged to get outside near their own homes and discover new things in nature they might not have observed before.

See Your Friends

Throughout the week, campers will come together via Zoom to connect for group cabin activities with Pine Tree Camp staff and other campers, providing the chance to get to know each other and share experiences, such as talking about what people saw on their nature walks at home or which new birds came to their handmade pine cone bird feeder.

Teach Your Family

Because our programming consists of both self-guided activities as well as programming that will happen over Zoom, we are asking that there be someone there to support campers when needed. This is also an opportunity for campers to share their favorite Pine Tree Camp activities and create new family traditions by sharing these experiences together.

Pine Tree Camp to You begins in July. Registration is open and filling fast. Register today to reserve your spot.

Build your child’s speech language skills this summer

tami on June 23, 2020

For most, the 2019/2020 school year has come to a close. Planning is still underway for the fall, but we can expect that remote learning will play some role in the education of students; whether it’s preventative measures for at risk students, in response to a second wave pandemic, or a back up plan for snow days.

Students, teachers and families stepped up in the spring. We were all on a fast track to building skills in remote learning and remote work. Zoom is now a part of our vocabulary.

For children with special needs, remote learning was particularly challenging. Twice as many parents of children with IEPs reported doing little or no remote learning (35% vs. 17%) and only one in five children received all the supports in the IEPs. (Source: NPR report ParentsTogether survey)

If your child struggled, know that you are not alone.

Acquiring the skills to successfully access remote learning and stay socially connected to peers during a pandemic simply wasn’t written into students IEPs prior to COVID-19. Yet, periodic distance learning may be a reality for some students in the 2020/21 school year.

Even before your child is back to school, there are things you can do to build skills. Summer is the ideal time to build your child’s comfort with remote learning and therapy experiences. Finding a trusted provider who has proven success in remote practice and is able to engage children and teens in a teletherapy experience will set a foundation of confidence and skills. Pine Tree Society’s speech team has created engaging, individualized telepractice speech therapy sessions in which children and teens continue to make progress on their speech goals while they also gain confidence in using remote technologies.

Call Pine Tree Society today at 207-386-5931 to schedule a telepractice speech therapy session and discover how this can create a foundation of success for the 20/21 school year.

Virtual Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp a success, still time to join to support Pine Tree Camp

tami on June 9, 2020

For the first time in 24 years, the Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp went virtual.

More than 200 people tuned into Facebook for the live-stream kick-off on Saturday, June 6 and then took to the trails, roads, waterways and their own yards to participate in an activity of their choice.

“We’re hearing from so many of our participants who want to continue to fundraise and those who want to join in to support Pine Tree Camp,” said Kris Dorer, Event and Alumni Manager at Pine Tree Society. “The feedback has been amazing.”

Want to show your support for Pine Tree Camp during this challenging time? If you have already created a fundraising page, keep on sharing and raising money. Haven’t created a fundraising page? There’s still time. Click here to create your fundraising page.

All who are registered and have raised at least $100 by July 1 will receive an exclusive Paddle for Pine Tree Camp t-shirt.

Pine Tree Camp’s summer staff are here for the season

tami on June 9, 2020

Pine Tree Camp’s summer staff training is underway!

“We’re so excited about the opportunities we are offering Maine people with disabilities and their families this summer,” said Pine Tree Camp Director, Dawn Willard-Robinson. “This new programming means we have added additional aspects and focus areas to our training.”

The Pine Tree Camp season is going to be a bit different this year, but the goal of keeping campers connected, active and outdoors remains steadfast. And the training reflects those goals.

“We’re using our time together to train, expand curriculum and fine tune the leadership and team-building skills needed to effectively deliver a memorable summer for all,” said Dawn. “Our training this year includes more cross-training and our curriculum teams will devote a portion of the training time to create all the resources campers and their families need for our remote Pine Tree Camp to You sessions,”

Training always begins by framing out the goals, focus and what to expect. This year, that portion was done via Zoom video conference. Next, staff started by training virtually through videos, podcasts, lectures and articles from leaders in the field. Special emphasis was placed on how to effectively work online and engage people virtually.

“We’ve fully embraced all aspects of technology to help us bring Pine Tree Camp virtually to our community,” Dawn said. “Many of our summer team members are also educators who are now experienced with virtual classrooms.”

One of Dawn’s favorite aspects of professional development is teaching staff how to break down their curriculum and activities for all ability levels.

“How do you take what you’re doing and make it for everybody?” she said. “We are always thinking about who we’re working with, their individual abilities and how we can adapt our curriculum and activities to allow full participation.”

Pine Tree Camp Adventure Day Passes, launching in July, will offer Maine people with disabilities the opportunity to visit Pine Tree Camp to participate in all of the recreational activities available on the 285-acre barrier free campus.

“Our team will be cross-trained in certifications for archery, boating, kayaking and all the specialized recreation equipment at Pine Tree Camp,” said Dawn. “We’re also focused on specific protocols for screening and cleaning. Essentially, it’s a master class in screening, cleaning and service protocols during Covid-19.”

Learn more:

Reserve Pine Tree Camp Adventure Day Passes at this link.

Early Learning Center innovates to keep children connected and engaged

tami on June 2, 2020

“I wanted to thank you for these Learning Bags. The effort that went into them is amazing. We are so appreciative.”

“You all always go above and beyond for my son, especially during this difficult time. It has made such a difference in his life and we appreciate it more than you know.”

That’s just some of the feedback Karen McClure-Richard, director of Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center has received from parents about their new Learning Bags. The Early Learning Center is a specialized preschool for children with significant disabilities; providing critical early intervention and consistent skill building.

Since March, Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center has been focused on distance learning to keep students and families connected through a virtual classroom. In May, they added to their curriculum by delivering Learning Bags with everything families need for the week.

“In the bags are materials we are using for virtual classroom Zoom sessions,” Karen explained. “Last week we made bird feeders and this week we learned how to plant seeds. The intent is to provide activities families can continue after the Zoom session ends. For example, kids can hang their bird feeder in a tree, then wait and watch for birds. They can also see how the tomato seeds they planted grow and flower as they care for them over time.”

Throughout the week, the curriculum expands on what they’ve learned. From watching video of a mother bird in a nest, to discovering different bird calls to reading a book about a bird family, each activity ties back to a learning objective that builds life skills for children and their families.

“Next week our theme is Families and Feelings,” Karen continued. “The objective is to help children understand how we’re all having a lot of different feelings right now and how we can express those feelings.”

The Learning Bag contains gingerbread men cookie inspired shapes of big people and little people for the kids to cut out and decorate.

“In the Zoom session, we’ll walk them through how to cut out and decorate the number of people who are in their family. Then, during the week, we’ll talk about how every family is different, read books about families and discover ways to celebrate differences and everyone who is part our unique family. We’ll also do a virtual Show and Tell so kids can tell us all about their pet or favorite stuffed animal.”

After each Zoom session, the Early Learning Center educators send a summary email that includes links to everything offered in that day’s lesson; giving parents additional tools to use at their own pace at home.

“An unexpected benefit of distance learning is we have the opportunity to work with parents and their children at the same time,” said Karen. “In our virtual sessions, we’re coaching parents how their child learns through play and helping them to think about learning in a different way. We provide simple, every day activities they can repeat at home that develop and carry over skills and encourage development in their child.”

Pine Tree Camp to offer Pine Tree Camp to You summer sessions

tami on May 27, 2020

Though we’re unable to gather around a campfire in person this summer, Pine Tree Camp will deliver a remote summer camp experience for Maine people with disabilities. All campers need is a spirit of adventure, an Internet connection, a mobile device or computer and a free Zoom account. Pine Tree Camp will provide the rest.

“Our mission is discovering abilities together, and we’re going to continue that mission even when we’re apart,” said assistant camp director Mary Schafhauser. “As innovative camp professionals, we’re always thinking about what more we can do. This is our chance. Everything we do this summer will be meaningful and impactful. It’s such an opportunity.”

Pine Tree Camp Director Dawn-Willard Robinson continued, “We actually opened Pine Tree Camp two months early with the launch of Pine Tree Camp to You on Facebook in March. We have learned a lot over the past few months and have been able to incorporate what we have learned into our summer curriculum.”

Dawn and Mary pulled in a team of camp professionals, alumni, teachers, media specialists and outdoor recreation experts from around the United States to design an accessible curriculum that connects campers, creates opportunities for staying active, engages their imagination and develops their passion for trying new things. Pine Tree Camp is a place to try new things. And that can still be done virtually.

Here’s how Pine Tree Camp to You summer sessions will work:

Pine Tree Camp to You is a series of six, week-long remote summer camp sessions. Each week will revolve around a theme like Nature, Drama or Science. Registered campers will receive a curated activity box containing everything they need to participate in the daily activities. Campers will come together via Zoom to connect for group activities and will also participate in self-guided activities at their own pace. Self-guided activities will be delivered through paper instructions and pre-recorded video accessed on Pine Tree Camp’s website.

Campers can expect to participate in a wide variety of fun activities. For example, during the Nature themed-week there will be everything from a backyard nature hunt to virtually exploring the trails at Pine Tree Camp via video with an outdoor recreation expert. During Science week, campers will learn how to make a lava lamp at home and explore how clouds form shapes along the shores of North Pond. Music is always a Pine Tree Camp favorite so campers will also have opportunities to learn new music then show off what they learned by singing together around a virtual campfire.

“It boils down to one word: connection,” said camp director Dawn Willard-Robinson. “We want to fill that need for connection in whatever way we can, even if that means we’re connecting virtually through a screen. Keeping people connected is the very essence of what we do, and, during this time of physical distancing, that’s more important than ever.”

Registration opens on June 8. Detailed information is available at this link.

Cabin Challenge for Pine Tree Camp

tami on May 6, 2020

Calling all Pine Tree Camp campers, staff and alumni!

We know you love Pine Tree Camp and here is your chance to show it – while showing the world why YOUR CABIN is the BEST! Join your favorite cabin’s Virtual Paddle for Pine Tree Camp team led by some very familiar faces.

All you have to do is join your favorite cabin team online.

Your cabin needs you!

You can also donate directly to specific cabin teams at the links below.

Cabin 1 Team

Captains: Lori Chesley & Hunter Chesley

Donate to Cabin 1: https://give.everydayhero.com/us/pine-tree-camp-cabin-1-team

Cabin 2 Team

Captain: Kelly Williams

Donate to Cabin 2: https://give.everydayhero.com/us/pine-tree-camp-cabin-2

Cabin 3 Team

Captain: Dawn Willard-Robinson

Donate to Cabin 3: https://give.everydayhero.com/us/pine-tree-camp-cabin-3