Wisconsin Teen Travel Tours

Wisconsin Teen Travel Tours

Beyond Akeela Teen Travel Tour moves to Wisconsin

The onset of Fall offers a time of reflection for us here in our home office away from camp. It gives us time to think back on the successes of the past summer, and also hear from our campers and their parents how we can continue to grow as a community. Our reflection on Beyond Akeela this year is especially important after our first year running the program in the Midwest. The transition program for teens with NVLD was a great success in year one, and we are so excited to get started planning the second summer in Wisconsin.

Here are some of the highlights from our first summer in Wisconsin:

College Readiness: We utilized resources of being on a college campus to help our teens prep for life in college. This included living on a college campus and activities with the health and wellness team, career center, and student services. All of these dynamic activities gave our teens a better glimpse of college life.

Chicago: Our campers had a chance to see much of the popular city in the Midwest! The group went on walking tours, spent time at various museums including the Shedd Aquarium, and got to view the whole city from the Sky Deck to close out their time in the city. Campers also took time to plan their activities in Chicago, and handled all logistics including their transportation and food. While enjoying a beautiful city, our teens with high functioning ASD also worked on their executive functioning skills.

Community Service: Our choice community service program was a huge hit! We were so impressed with our teens for jumping right into community service work and thriving in it. Community sponsors echoed how much of a pleasure it was to work with our groups. Beyond Akeela teens were given the choice to select a community service option that interested them, and committed to that service on four separate occasions. Not only was this a great way to give back to our community, but also an opportunity for quirky teens to practice their interpersonal skills in a workplace-like setting.

Ropes Course and White Water Rafting: Our adventure seekers got their adrenaline pumping on the high ropes course and our white water rafting excursion. Campers were encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, and walked away with a new sense of confidence and self-awareness.