My son was very happy to attend the "SUMMER MATTERS CAMP". He felt SAFE and very Welcome. Summer time is very hard for parents with children with special needs. Summer Matters was PERFECT! To have a program in place for the summer is a big rest for us parents. Knowing we have a placement that is going to help our children feel "belong". Parents can put there summer worries away and focus on other important issues.
Our son attended the Horse Back Riding Camp, I asked him what did you like about camp? He said " I really enjoy riding, animals don't judge you, and when I am riding I feel that it's just me and my Horse, I feel FREE! It was good to meet new friends and to see my old friends from my school. My instructors were nice and very kind. I would like to go to Summer Matters again."
As a parents we greatly appreciate all the HARD WORK that was put in place to provided our son this fantastic camp!
Thank You, See you next summer!

My son attended the horseback riding and the science this past summer. He enjoyed both very much. He especially enjoyed being able to stay overnight at the Philadelphia Zoo with the science program. He is looking forward to attending again this summer!!

Our 13 year old son attended the 2-week Summer Matters Horticulture Program in August 2007. Our son, who has a PDD-NOS diagnosis and is high-functioning, loved the combination of travel to Longwood Gardens, Waterloo Gardens, and Chanticleer Gardens and on-site gardening activities in the Vanguard School greenhouse and around the campus, along with educational activities in the classroom. The ratio of campers to staff was approx. 3:1. The staff were all professionals trained to work with Special Education children. Their teaching combined hands-on and book-style learning, coaching the students as needed each day. Our son came home very excited at the end of each day. Our only complaint about the program was that we wish the days were longer! For this first, start-up year, the program ran from 9 am - 2 pm each day. Our son will definitely participate again in the Summer of 2008. Our only challenge will be picking a workshop - the preliminary choices look fabulous! This program also fills a critical gap - there are almost no summer camp activities for children - never mind special needs children - in August. For special needs children in particular, keeping them in structured activities year-round is critical. This program doesn't just fill this gap - it excels. That's why I gave it a 5 star rating.

My son had a wonderful time on the RV EduTour trip. The first week was spent planning the trip--going to the library and mapping out the trip, planning the menu, keeping in mind a budget, going to the grocery store and buying the food, making a list of the supplies they would need and going to REI to get them, learning how to put up the tent, deciding what activities they would participate in, etc. They had to work together as a group and make decisions accordingly. The second week was putting their plan into action and having fun! Chris had a great time at the parks, especially Gettysbury. He learned a lot while having fun!

My daughter attended the science and horseback riding camps this past summer and she had a wonderful time! She learned a lot stuff too. It was great.

As part of the science camp she spent a night at the zoo which she loved. She also thought the people from Wondergy were really cool and educational. She loves animals so spending a week with the horses, learning how care for them and to ride them was great.