Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp recently shared this video from last year on their Facebook, which got us here at the Capstone office thinking that it's a great time to share it again as well. Some of you who are enrolled this year may have already seen it, but we hope you will again enjoy and be inspired by the uplifting spirits of the counselors, staff, and campers in the video.
Before we get to our feature presentation, however, we would like to attend to a housekeeping matter. PSU's Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp Capstone office has moved—we are NOT located across from Smith (SMSU) anymore. Our new address is as follows:
Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp
Portland State University
School of Education
1900 SW 4th Ave Suite 290-2
503-725-3380
One way to reach the office is to enter from the entrance on Harrison Street, and then to take the elevator or stairs up to the second floor and navigate to Suite 290-2. Here's a link to a Google Street View of the Harrison Street entrance.
And now, back to our video. We hope you enjoy!
Monday, June 29, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Welcome to Camp!!!
Happy Wednesday, everyone! For many of you enrolled in 2015's Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp Capstone, this is your first week at camp. Others will be starting in two weeks for the second session, and still more will be coming for the third and fourth sessions (beginning July 18th and August 1st, respectively). To celebrate the start of this summer at camp, we'd like to share some Letters to Future Counselors written by previous counselors. For those of you who are already enrolled, these letters are available to read in their original hand-written formats on the capstone website. For those of you who are not yet enrolled (or who are reading this some years in the future), we hope this will give you more of an idea of the wonderful things that can happen every year at camp. Enjoy!
These letters were written by counselors at the end of their camp session, on forms titled Advice to Future Counselors that had the following instructions: "Think back to your first day and what was going through your head. Then think about your experience at camp. What advice/insights would you give to a new counselor? (This will be given to a counselor next year.)." Letters may be lightly edited for clarity and names are redacted for privacy reasons.
And so, without further ado, here is our first letter:
And now, our second letter:
We hope you enjoyed these letters, and let us know in the comments if you'd like to see more. And if you've had experiences at Camp that you'd like to share, please tell us about them! Talk to us in the comments here or on Facebook.
Happy summer, everyone!
UPDATE: Read more Letters to Future Counselors in another of our blog posts here!
These letters were written by counselors at the end of their camp session, on forms titled Advice to Future Counselors that had the following instructions: "Think back to your first day and what was going through your head. Then think about your experience at camp. What advice/insights would you give to a new counselor? (This will be given to a counselor next year.)." Letters may be lightly edited for clarity and names are redacted for privacy reasons.
And so, without further ado, here is our first letter:
Hello,
When I was in your position I was utterly terrified. It was my first time working with people with disabilities. I was anxious about personal care, communication, and most importantly that I might not connect with my camper. Now I see things in a totally different light. Both my campers were very different from each other. I learned to communicate with both and created deep connections with them. Kiwanis camp truly is a magical place. My CS, ACS, and fellow counselors felt like family by the first Monday. With so many unique people with different abilities the camp creates a place accepting of everyone. It will seem like a dream world after a while; two weeks free from the sprawl of the city. I never thought I could care for someone as deeply as I cared for my camper. And I never thought I could trust people as quickly as I trusted my fellow counselors. Kiwanis Camp is a place that allows a reconnection to humanity. We are immersed in the forest, surrounded by animals and mother nature, and the result is embracing every individual member of the camp for what they are: a person. Even though you may be extremely nervous now, embrace the next two weeks. Because there is a possibility when that second Friday comes you might not want to leave at all.
When I was in your position I was utterly terrified. It was my first time working with people with disabilities. I was anxious about personal care, communication, and most importantly that I might not connect with my camper. Now I see things in a totally different light. Both my campers were very different from each other. I learned to communicate with both and created deep connections with them. Kiwanis camp truly is a magical place. My CS, ACS, and fellow counselors felt like family by the first Monday. With so many unique people with different abilities the camp creates a place accepting of everyone. It will seem like a dream world after a while; two weeks free from the sprawl of the city. I never thought I could care for someone as deeply as I cared for my camper. And I never thought I could trust people as quickly as I trusted my fellow counselors. Kiwanis Camp is a place that allows a reconnection to humanity. We are immersed in the forest, surrounded by animals and mother nature, and the result is embracing every individual member of the camp for what they are: a person. Even though you may be extremely nervous now, embrace the next two weeks. Because there is a possibility when that second Friday comes you might not want to leave at all.
And now, our second letter:
Bring candy! Whatever you think you know about working with persons with disabilities, you're about to learn a lot more. I came in with some experience, but found myself challenged the same as those around me with no experience. Also, learn to trust your group. I promise you that by the end of your two weeks you will see all of them totally different than the day you meet them. This will change you in the best ways possible. These campers are a total joy to be around and this place is truly magical. It's hard work but it's some of the most fun I've ever had.
xoxo
xoxo
We hope you enjoyed these letters, and let us know in the comments if you'd like to see more. And if you've had experiences at Camp that you'd like to share, please tell us about them! Talk to us in the comments here or on Facebook.
Happy summer, everyone!
UPDATE: Read more Letters to Future Counselors in another of our blog posts here!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Teen carries brother with cerebral palsy for fifty-seven miles to raise awareness
Hunter Gandee, a 15-year-old high school freshman from Michigan,
completed a fifty-seven mile walk on Sunday with his little brother
riding on his back. 8-year-old Braden Gandee has cerebral palsy, a
disease that has made him unable to walk without assistance, and Hunter
carried him the whole way as part of a mission to raise awareness about
the condition. The event, dubbed the "Cerebral Palsy Swagger,"
began at Braden's school in Lambertville, Michigan, and ended at the
University of Michigan Pediatric Rehabilitation Center in Ann Arbor.
It's not the first time Hunter Gandee has carried his brother on a long trek. A year ago, the then-14-year-old carried Braden on a forty-mile walk, this one from the Gandees's hometown of Temperance, Michigan to Ann Arbor. That hike lasted two days. While the family states that this second trip is not a fundraiser, Gandee did set up a GoFundMe campaign after people last year expressed a desire to donate. The proceeds will go toward the construction of an accessible playground at Braden's school.
During the fifty-seven mile hike, the elder Gandee alternated between the use of three different harnesses to help him bear the weight of his sixty-pound brother. Rest stops were set up every three miles, and physical therapists would attend to both Gandees and help stretch out their muscles. Hunter also carries Braden in everyday life, in places where he believes it is more convenient than Braden's walker, but not usually in walks of such magnitude.
Friends and family accompanied the brothers on their long journey. On the second day, Hunter says he collapsed from exhaustion, but his friends picked him up and he was able to continue on to the third day. Police and fire departments also escorted the teen, and spectators lined his route to yell out encouragement. At last, on June 7th, 2015, the two Gandees crossed the finish line and broke the ceremonial tape.
Hunter gives credit for the idea of the Cerebral Palsy Swagger to his mother, noting that she had a dream in March 2014 about him carrying Braden to raise awareness, and that three months later that's exactly what he did. Though both the 2014 and the 2015 walks were exhausting, Hunter says that he believes it is up to his generation to bring about change and to make the world a more accessible place.
You can read more about Hunter and Braden Gandee on ABC News, CNN, Fox News and affiliate Fox8, and on the Cerebral Palsy Swagger Facebook and Instagram.
It's not the first time Hunter Gandee has carried his brother on a long trek. A year ago, the then-14-year-old carried Braden on a forty-mile walk, this one from the Gandees's hometown of Temperance, Michigan to Ann Arbor. That hike lasted two days. While the family states that this second trip is not a fundraiser, Gandee did set up a GoFundMe campaign after people last year expressed a desire to donate. The proceeds will go toward the construction of an accessible playground at Braden's school.
During the fifty-seven mile hike, the elder Gandee alternated between the use of three different harnesses to help him bear the weight of his sixty-pound brother. Rest stops were set up every three miles, and physical therapists would attend to both Gandees and help stretch out their muscles. Hunter also carries Braden in everyday life, in places where he believes it is more convenient than Braden's walker, but not usually in walks of such magnitude.
Friends and family accompanied the brothers on their long journey. On the second day, Hunter says he collapsed from exhaustion, but his friends picked him up and he was able to continue on to the third day. Police and fire departments also escorted the teen, and spectators lined his route to yell out encouragement. At last, on June 7th, 2015, the two Gandees crossed the finish line and broke the ceremonial tape.
Hunter gives credit for the idea of the Cerebral Palsy Swagger to his mother, noting that she had a dream in March 2014 about him carrying Braden to raise awareness, and that three months later that's exactly what he did. Though both the 2014 and the 2015 walks were exhausting, Hunter says that he believes it is up to his generation to bring about change and to make the world a more accessible place.
You can read more about Hunter and Braden Gandee on ABC News, CNN, Fox News and affiliate Fox8, and on the Cerebral Palsy Swagger Facebook and Instagram.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Oregon Special Needs student voted prom queen at Southridge High School
Katie
Shipley, a senior special needs student at Southridge High School,
received the most votes ever in the school's history to be elected prom
queen on May 16th. Born with Trisomy 1 Mosaicism, a rare chromosome
disorder, Shipley also has a form of dementia and was not expected to
live to see her eighteenth birthday. Now, the eighteen-year-old will be
graduating this year from Southridge's special education program, as
the Queen of her senior prom.
It all started, as the video below details, when Shipley expressed a desire to be part of the prom court. Her friends, including her peer tutors at the school, worked without her knowledge to get her a nomination. Their efforts were a success, and they filmed Shipley's reaction when they first told her that she was going to be a prom princess:
In the days that followed, Shipley's friends continued to work on her campaign to become queen. Friend Courtney Travis tweeted a picture of Shipley and her date Michael Parks, explaining their plan to make Shipley's dreams a reality. Fellow students Taylor Chapman and Tori Harman also helped spread awareness, and Travis noted that the idea was becoming very popular throughout the community.
On May 16th, Shipley donned a purple and gold gown and headed out to the prom at the World Trade Center. With makeup applied by her friends, when the time came she lined up on stage with the rest of the prom court and waited for the results to be announced. As she stood there, the crowd began to yell.
"Katie! Katie! Katie!"
The shouts rose up, and they kept on until the announcer named Katie Shipley as Southridge High School's 2015 Prom Queen.
Later, Shipley's grandmother Joan Fraley would say that she was happy about the nomination, but concerned about how her granddaughter would feel if she weren't elected queen. She needn't have worried. Shipley received over 200 votes, the most votes for prom queen in Southridge High School's history.
You can read more about Katie Shipley's story on local sites KGW.com and OregonLive.com, and also on national sites like USA Today, MTV, NBC, and Buzzfeed.
It all started, as the video below details, when Shipley expressed a desire to be part of the prom court. Her friends, including her peer tutors at the school, worked without her knowledge to get her a nomination. Their efforts were a success, and they filmed Shipley's reaction when they first told her that she was going to be a prom princess:
In the days that followed, Shipley's friends continued to work on her campaign to become queen. Friend Courtney Travis tweeted a picture of Shipley and her date Michael Parks, explaining their plan to make Shipley's dreams a reality. Fellow students Taylor Chapman and Tori Harman also helped spread awareness, and Travis noted that the idea was becoming very popular throughout the community.
On May 16th, Shipley donned a purple and gold gown and headed out to the prom at the World Trade Center. With makeup applied by her friends, when the time came she lined up on stage with the rest of the prom court and waited for the results to be announced. As she stood there, the crowd began to yell.
"Katie! Katie! Katie!"
The shouts rose up, and they kept on until the announcer named Katie Shipley as Southridge High School's 2015 Prom Queen.
2015 Prom Court with King Mikee and Queen Katie.
Posted by Southridge High School on Saturday, May 16, 2015
Later, Shipley's grandmother Joan Fraley would say that she was happy about the nomination, but concerned about how her granddaughter would feel if she weren't elected queen. She needn't have worried. Shipley received over 200 votes, the most votes for prom queen in Southridge High School's history.
You can read more about Katie Shipley's story on local sites KGW.com and OregonLive.com, and also on national sites like USA Today, MTV, NBC, and Buzzfeed.
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