All Programs

Nestled in the Laurel Highlands of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Camp PARC welcomes campers to one of its three summer camping sessions, held each year in July. All of our sessions are overnight programs, meaning all of the counselors and campers will stay on-site for the duration of the session.

• Adult Mini Session is a specifically designed program to meet the needs of adults, ages 18 and older, with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have limited physical mobility and/or decreased agility, are unable to keep the pace of our full week camping session, or are staying away from home for the first time.
  2023 Session Dates:  July 9 – July 13
• Youth Mini Session provides a camping experience for children, ages 6-17, with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  2023 Session Dates:  July 16 – July 19

• Adult Full Week Session is a full-week, 7 days and 6 nights, session that is offered to adults, ages 18 and older, with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  2023 Session Dates:  July 23 – 29

Our programs are designed for people who have intellectual and/or developmental disabilities related to autism, cerebral palsy, brain injury, and Down, Tourette, and other syndromes. Many clients also have physical disabilities, hearing or vision impairment, and medical conditions. Visit our Camper page for answers to frequently asked questions and other resources.

All of Camp PARC’s resident staff are volunteer positions. Camp PARC provides at least one junior counselor for every two participants and at least one senior counselor for every four participants. One-on-one care is provided as needed. The camp staff includes foodservice professionals qualified to prepare special diets and registered nurses, physician assistants, and pharmacists who supervise medical care. To learn more about becoming part of Camp PARC’s staff, visit our Volunteer page.

At Camp PARC, participants participate in challenging and fun activities, enjoy and appreciate nature, meet new people, practice decision-making, renew old friendships, and share new experiences.

The summer camp program consistently delivers a dynamic and fun-filled experience, as well as offering a place where the boundaries of judgment, the fear of exclusion, and the stress of fitting into some pre-designed mold are gone.

Adult Full Week Session

The Adult Full Week session, is a six-night, camping session that is offered to adults, ages 18 and older, with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Campers should be able to participate and thrive in group activities and have the endurance to partake in a week of scheduled programming.

Campers are paired with student volunteers, known as Junior Counselors, who provide direct care of their assigned camper(s). Junior Counselors provide round-the-clock care and participate with their assigned camper(s) in recreation, crafts, and entertainment revolving around an annual theme. Adult volunteers, known as Senior Staff, supervise the Junior Counselors and provide leadership for the various activities. 

In addition to the daily schedule, evening activities provide some of the highlights of the week. These include dances, special group performances, concerts, a theme dinner, a ‘Big Night Show’ (in which all of the campers and counselors have a role and perform), and the annual carnival.

Adult Full Week Session will be held July 23 – July 29, 2023. The fee for the 2023 Adult Full Week Session is $450. Applications for the 2023 season will open in January 2023.

For more information, please contact Ted or Judy Risch, Camp Directors, at (814) 410-5343 or email info@campparc.org.

Adult Mini-Camp Session

The Adult Mini Session is an overnight camp experience for adults (ages 18+) who have never been away from home and would benefit from a shorter camping experience, or adults who are no longer able to keep the pace and meet the physical demands of the full week session, or adults, who, for whatever reason, may not be ready to attend a full week camp session. Residents of this session will reside for four nights/five days.

To effectively meet the individual needs of each camper, this camping session will be limited to the participation of 30 campers. Each camper will be assigned their own counselor (1:1 ratio), so that each participant will receive the individual care and attention necessary.

Daily camp activities will be enhanced by the yearly theme and will be tailored to meet the individual needs of the participating campers. Campers will participate in activities that correlate with their physical capabilities and agility level.

Throughout this camping session, specially selected activities, centered around our annual theme, will also engage the attending campers in socialization experiences, not only with their peers but with non-handicapped individuals of all ages as well. Camp PARC takes pride in the number of volunteers that participate in our program each year, ranging in ages from 6-75 years old.  Campers attending adult mini-camp will have opportunities to interact and socialize with all who attend.

The Adult Mini Session will be held July 9 – July 13, 2022. The fee for 2023 Adult Mini Session is $325. Applications for the 2023 season will open in January 2023.

For more information please contact Ted or Judy Risch, Camp Directors, at (814) 410-5343 or email info@campparc.org.

Youth Mini-Camp Session

The Youth Mini Session pairs campers, age 6-17, with energetic and compassionate student volunteers, known as Junior Counselors, who are in direct care of their assigned camper. Adult volunteers, known as Senior Staff, supervise the Junior Counselors and provide leadership for the various activities. The Junior Counselors provide round-the-clock care and participate with their camper in recreation, crafts and entertainment revolving around an annual theme.

In addition to having a Junior Counselor, each camper also has a Peer Buddy with them for the entire session. Peer Buddies are positive, enthusiastic role models (ages 6-17) whose whole job is to be a good friend to their camper.

For many of our campers, the Camp PARC experience may be their first time away from home and their loved ones. The three-person team of Junior Counselor, Camper, and Peer Buddy give a little extra support and attention to these younger campers; the Peer Buddy gives the Junior Counselor a helping hand, and the Peer Buddy gains the valuable opportunity for growth and service at a young age.

Youth Mini-Camp Session will be held July 16 – July 19, 2022. The tuition for the 2021 Youth Mini Session is $275. Applications for the 2023 season will open in January 2023.

For more information, please contact Ted or Judy Risch, Camp Directors, at (814) 410-5343 or email info@campparc.org.