Each summer, approximately 80 Naperville children and teens with special needs participate in summer camps run by Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA) in cooperation with Naperville School Districts 203 and 204. This unique collaborative effort is designed so that student/campers receive that wholesome balance of educational enrichment and good-old-fashioned, recreational fun during the summer months.
Here’s how it works. Mornings are spent in summer school provided by the districts and afternoons are spent having fun and making friends at WDSRA camps. Parents don’t need to worry about transportation from school to camp because it is provided by the school districts.
Summer Spectacular Camp is held at Jefferson Junior High School in cooperation with District 203, where campers ages 7 to 21 are grouped into five age-appropriate programs. Owen Elementary School is the home of Camp Fantastik where three programs provide summer fun for ages 5 to 12. For the teens, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie High Schools host Camp TIA (Teens In Action). Camp Fantastik and Camp TIA are held in cooperation with District 204. All campers head over to Naperville Central High School on Tuesdays for swimming in the indoor pool. Camps run approximately mid-June through mid-July. (Please check WDSRA Summer Day Camp brochure online for more details at www.wdsra.com).
Naperville’s Co-Op Camps are a great example of community collaboration that in this case benefits not only the student/campers and their families, but the community as a whole. Another feather in the cap for the strong community that is truly Naperville!
