A week-long day camp experience for children who have a parent or other loved adult with cancer.

Four one-week sessions are offered, throughout the summer. Each session consists of 5 days of programming, Monday - Friday, from 9 AM - 4 PM.

This camp uses the theme of animals and animal/human interactions to provide an enjoyable and therapeutic experience for the youngsters attending. The goals of the camp are to enhance communication, teach an appreciation of the natural world, develop caregiving and nurturing behaviors, reinforce coping and resilience, and build problem-solving skills. The mornings focus on animal encounters and relationships, and the afternoons often have a recreational or physical expression orientation. In each week, children are encouraged to bond with specific individual animals, with the plan of separation at the end of the week. Each week involves working with an outside agency or organization involved in animals to establish the therapeutic program. A service project to the participating agency is part of each week. Also at the end of each week, parents are invited to attend a ceremony or special production put on by their children.

Animal Camp is open to children from 6 - 12 years of age, who are or have been participants at The Gathering Place. Twelve children are accepted each week, with a waiting list established to fill any last-minute vacancies. Registration is required, and usually opens in the early spring through a letter sent to all families with children.

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