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Ben Kilzer, a student at the Anne Carlsen Center, swims in Lake Isabel with Kim McGarrah, one of the Center’s Home Life Service Coordinators.

ACC Wraps Up Another Tremendous TechnoCamp

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For one week, students from the Anne Carlsen Center (ACC) and a handful of teens from throughout North Dakota reinforced how fun and engaging the combination of assistive technology and the outdoors can be.

Campers spent June 28—July 3 enjoying a variety of activities during ACC Week at Elks Camp Grassick. A total of 27 individuals participated in traditional camp favorites (swimming in Lake Isabel, taking a hayride, singing around a campfire, and more) and learned about software and other technologies that would compliment and help unleash their artistic abilities.

“I really enjoy working with the kids and giving them those experiences,” says Mark Coppin, ACC’s Assistive Technology Director. “We also work with the counselors, many of whom are going into teaching and give them a taste of assistive technology and what it can do.”

Campers created their own music and art pieces, and took digital photos, turning them into camp keepsakes and slideshows. Many were placed on display at the TechnoCamp talent and art shows.

“The kids are able to make art and get their creative juices flowing,” says Corby Maddock, a teacher with the Center. “They are proud of what they make. It is a great opportunity for them to be artists and express themselves.”

“The cool thing is when they start out, many of the campers think the projects are really hard,” says Kris Nitschke, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) at the Center who helps create many of the arts and crafts ideas each year for camp. “When you break it down, step by step, they are really surprised by how easy it can be and really excited by what their project looks like when they are finished.”

“For me, one of the big moments of camp came when one person told me he likes making music, because he likes putting emotion into it,” says Coppin. “It is very intimate for him, something he really likes to do. That was neat – to see him take music to another level.”

This is the sixth year ACC has partnered with Elks Camp Grassick for TechnoCamp, and the eighth year for the camp overall. Camp Grassick serves about 120 children and teens, along with 80 adults, each year throughout six various camp sessions.

“TechnoCamp is an example of everyone pulling together at the Center and doing their part,” explains Coppin. “And Elks Camp Grassick has a role, and they do what they do best.”

“Our staff gets so much out of it,” says Dan Mimnaugh, Camp Director at Elks Camp Grassick. “And we are able to offer a very safe, supportive environment for the kids to learn and grow.”

Visit www.annecenter.org for more information about TechnoCamp and www.elkscampgrassick.com for more information about Elks Camp Grassick located just south of Dawson, N.D.

The Anne Carlsen Center offers a rich tradition of empowering individuals with disabilities and their families. Our experienced staff provides compassion, training, services and supports in homes and communities across North Dakota. On our Jamestown campus, we meet the educational, residential, and therapeutic needs of children and young adults with autism, behavior disorders, medical fragility, and other developmental disabilities.