Beyond Akeela was recognized by Beth Felsen of Spectrum Transition Coaching as a top summer program for autistic students transitioning to college. You can read the full article here: “How to Choose a Summer Program for Autistic Students.” The post outlines important considerations for families selecting a summer program for their teen. If you are considering a summer program for your teen, it’s a great article to read!
Beyond Akeela is ACA Accredited, and must comply with regulations of the MDPH & be licensed by the LBOH.
We want you to have an individualized experience at camp, in which you work toward and get support for goals you’re interested in pursuing. You’ll establish these goals with a staff member you trust and do a couple self-assessments and check-ins on your progress over the time you’re at camp.
We believe in challenge by choice at Beyond Akeela, and you’ll always have the option for a summit hike or nature walk when we have a hike day. Challenging yourself in nature with your friends can be a powerful and bonding experience, and we love hearing the conversations that spark during the walks.
These sessions are geared toward topics that are important for you to reflect on and think critically about for a successful college transition. They are not “classes.” Rather, they are engaging activities or discussions led by either Beyond Akeela staff or experts in the field. Topics range from maintaining healthy relationships to Q&A’s with Beyond Akeela about college social life, and resume building workshops to college application conversations with admissions faculty. The best part about it? You choose your own path!
You’ll get a chance to visit a few different colleges during the session. We want to give you chances to explore different college environments, large vs. small, public vs. private, and “traditional” vs. “specialized.” We know you may not apply to these schools, but our hope is that you get a better feel for what you’re looking for in an ideal college environment for you!
Evening activities are a fun way to wind down the day. Sometimes we’ll stay on campus and do something low-key like a trivia night, games night, or movie night. Other nights we head off campus for an evening or mini-golf or bowling. They’re designed to be social opportunities for you to spend time with the great friends you’re making at camp.
One of everyone’s favorite days at camp is the Adventure Trip Day! You’ll get to choose between a trip to a self-guided ropes course, river kayaking trip, or amusement park. It’s a great day to spend with your friends from camp.
This has long been a popular element of Beyond Akeela, and we can’t wait to share it with you. You’ll select between a few options to do your community service or internship. You’ll return to the same site six times throughout the session, giving you ample opportunity to gain volunteer hours, experience to put on your resume, and some experience in a job-like environment. Past options have included local farms, community gardens, libraries, youth day camps, campus dining services, and more!
We believe in helping you practice ways to stay active and promote a healthy lifestyle. Health & Wellness time is an opportunity for you to be active in a way that works for you. Teens typically choose between walking around campus, swimming at the lake, exercising in the “Bubble”, or playing a sport.
Camp is all about fun AND choice. You’ll pre-select the camp activities you’d like to participate in during Beyond Akeela. Typically we offer activities like art, creative writing, drama, Dungeons & Dragons, music, sports, and yoga/mindfulness during these periods. These are a great opportunity for you to get to know people who share your interests! Below you’ll find some images of other camp activities.
We occasionally meet as a larger community to have a group discussion about topics we feel are important for everyone at camp to be a part of. Past topics include Professionalism in the Workplace which helps you prepare for the community service and internship opportunities, Nutrition to help you plan out the couple meals you’ll prep for dinner, and Budgeting so you can budget out how you plan to spend your monies while at camp!
