• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Donate
  • (207) 443-3341
  • Impact Stories

Pine Tree Society

  • Home
  • Pine Tree Camp
    • Overnight Camp
    • Camp Pine Cone Day Camp
    • Family Camp
    • Adventure Day Pass
    • Pine Tree Camp to You
    • Camp On The Road: Piscataquis County
    • Camp On The Road: York County
    • Retreats
    • Special Programs
  • Children & Families
    • Audiology
    • Children’s Case Management
    • Early Learning Center
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Sign Language Interpreting
    • Speech Language and Assistive Technology Services
  • Adults & Families
    • Audiology
    • Case Management
    • Community Support
    • Sign Language Interpreting
    • Speech/Language and Assistive Technology Services
  • About Us
    • Our Roots
    • Our Leadership
    • Board of Directors
    • Annual Report
    • Join Our Team
    • Connect With Us
    • Pine Tree Society Blog
    • News
  • Events
    • Dysart’s Snowmobile Ride-in
    • Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp!
    • 2023 Children’s Conference
    • Flutie 5K at Pine Tree Camp
    • See All Events
Home  ›  Stories  ›  Cooper: What he loves most about Pine Tree Camp

Cooper: What he loves most about Pine Tree Camp

Cooper is 17 years old and has attended Pine Tree Camp every summer since he was seven, starting with Camp Pine Cone. He made a list of what he loves the most about camp:

  1. I love the camp counselors.
  2. I love that the counselors sing with me and that I get to play the guitar. (I’m all about music and dancing.)
  3. I love meeting new friends.
  4. I love being independent.
  5. I love feeling like I don’t need my parents because I have friends and camp counselors to hang out with.

His mother, Stacie, said “He feels free to express himself at Pine Tree Camp and he just loves every part of it. It’s hard to explain how much it means to him. He talks about it all year long.”

Five years ago, when Cooper first transitioned from day camp to overnight camp, she and her husband, Chris, knew he was ready to experience new things on his own.

“When he first hit high school, it was a definite time when he became more and more independent,” Stacie recalled. “I know Pine Tree Camp is a huge part of why that happened for him.”

Cooper is now in his junior year and loves playing Unified Basketball and taking part in the Challenger Softball League.

“He loves the outdoors and he loves swimming. He’s always been a natural.    He sees friends he’s made at Pine Tree Camp when he’s out and about and always yells their name and gives them high fives. He’s definitely a people person!”

Cooper’s experiences at Pine Tree Camp have also helped Stacie step back and give him more independence at home.

“I’m really working on letting go of feeling worried if he’ll be okay without me. It’s still kind of weird for me but I know it’s what he needs.”

Primary Sidebar

Success Stories

  • Shane: Camper to Leader
  • Evan: We don’t worry about him at all
  • Tallie: Camp opens her world
  • Milena: Accepted, happy, and safe
  • Jackson: Free to be himself
  • See More Success Stories

Footer

social

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Pine Tree Camp Facebook
  • Autism Connection Facebook

connect

  • (207) 443-3341
  • Connect With Us

about us

  • Annual Report
  • Our Roots
  • Our Leadership

support

  • Donate
  • Pine Tree Camp 100

get involved

  • Support Pine Tree Society’s Impact
  • Bath Savings Paddle for Pine Tree Camp!

Auburn

589 Minot Avenue
Auburn, ME 04210

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 777-1205 fax

Bath

149 Front Street
Bath, Maine 04530

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 443-1070 fax

Scarborough

Elevation Center
71 U.S. Route 1, Suite B
Scarborough, Maine 04074

(207) 443-3341 voice
(207) 510-4647 VP
(207) 885-0157 fax

Pine Tree Camp

114 Pine Tree Camp Road
Rome, Maine 04963

(207) 386-5990 voice
(207) 397-5324 fax

  • © 2023 Pine Tree Society
  • •
  • Privacy Policy
  • •
  • Donor Privacy Policy
  • •
  • Refund Policy
  • •
  • Staff Login
  • •
  • Non-Discrimination Disclosure
  • •
  • Website by RainStorm