Autism College Transition Program

Goal Conversations

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.

Hike Day!

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.

Connect with us!

Curriculum Sessions

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!

College Visit

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 Activity

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.

Adventure Trip Day!

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.

Community Service & Internships

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!

Health & Wellness

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 Activity Choice

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.

Group Curriculum Session

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!

Wake Up & Morning Prep (7:30-9:05am)	You are responsible for setting your own alarm each day and getting yourself ready for breakfast. We’ll also have a quick morning meeting which will be a refresher on what your plans for the day are.
Community Service (9:15-11:15am)	You’ll pick your community service location and gain job-like experience at that site over the course of several days of service work. Each day you’ll have a consistent group and staff member accompanying you, and receive instruction from a volunteer coordinator at your site.
Free Time (11:15-11:55am)	This is a great chance to hang out in the dorm or around campus with your best friends from camp.
Lunch (12:00-12:35pm)	Most of our lunches will be in the campus dining hall, and on day trips we typically have a bagged lunch while we are out. There are usually a few different choices for you to select from, and we work with the team of chefs to make sure there is something for everyone.
Rest Hour (12:45-1:35pm)	Everyone takes some time to relax in our dorm building to re-energize before the afternoon.
Camp Activity Elective (1:45-2:35pm)	You can choose from a selection of specialty camp activities facilitated by Akeela staff. Options typically include, Arts, Creative Writing, Music, Strategy Games (eg. D&D), Team Sports, Tennis, Theatre/Drama, Wilderness Survival, Yoga/Mindfulness and more!
Snack (2:45-3:00pm)	Everyone gets together for a healthy snack as a community.
Curriculum Session (3:00-3:50pm)	You will engage in group activities on topics like healthy relationships, the college application process, resume building, college visits, etc. We give you the agency to make choices and pursue the conversations you’re most interested in.
Health & Wellness (4:00-4:50pm)	You will have the chance to exercise in a way you enjoy. Whether that’s going for a walk, run, swimming in the lake, or using exercise equipment, maintaining a basic level of active exercise each day is a good routine to build.
Free Time (5:00pm-6:00pm)	This is a great time for you to email back and forth with family back home, get some rest, or hang out in the lounge with your best camp friends. More active options are also available each day, as you can use the exercise facility and other areas on campus at during this time.
Dinner (6:00pm-7:00pm)	You’ll have a chance to prepare two meals with a small group of camp friends. You will plan the menu, budget for the grocery store trip, and prep the meal as a team with as needed support from the staff. Dinner on other nights are at the campus dining hall.
Evening Meeting (7:00pm-7:15pm)	As a whole community, we share announcements about the day and what’s coming next, and acknowledge the accomplishments of our friends.
Evening Activity (7:15pm-8:30pm)	Evening activities range from nights out bowling to movie nights, and camper planned parties to talent shows.
Evening Routine (8:15-10:00pm)	After evening activity, you’ll have a quick evening huddle with your cohort to bring some closure on the day and review the plan for the next day. Then it’s time to start your evening routines in preparation for sleep. There is no set bedtime, but we do ask that the dorm floors are quiet after 10pm.

Launching Neurodivergent Teens Into
Successful College Transitions

Transition Summer

Program Highlights

A Typical Day

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Beyond Akeela

Winter Address

Summer Address

Launching Neurodivergent Teens IntoSuccessful College Transitions