Our project: Summer Camp
A summer that leaves Its mark
There are summers that are remembered forever. Because something happens that changes the way you see things, breaks the routine, and restores the right to fully live authentic experiences.
The Summer Camp of the Orizzonte Autonomia Foundation ETS was launched in 2017 for this very reason: to offer children and young people with severe motor disabilities two weeks of intense experiences, inclusive and joyful, alongside the rehabilitative treatments of Conductive Education.
Participants are selected to create groups homogeneous in age and remaining abilities, in order to foster group dynamics, which is one of the keys to the project. In the Summer Camp, the group is never a passive context: it is an active tool for growth. Peer imitation, mutual support, and shared joy strengthen self-esteem and motivation. No one is left behind. Everyone is part of it.
The staff-to-participant ratio is one-to-one. Two Conductors are paired with two educators to ensure a constant, attentive, and dedicated presence. In the morning, the classic activities of the method – lying, sitting, standing – alternate with daily autonomy moments: eating, washing hands, going to the bathroom.
But the true beating heart of the Summer Camp is the afternoon outdoor experiences, designed to break down barriers – physical, social, and cultural – that too often isolate these children and young people. Outings on a barrier-free boat and activities on an equipped beach offer the wonder of the sea and the joy of swimming with specialized staff; days at the educational farm and hippotherapy restore contact with nature and respect for its slow rhythms.
Outings with the volunteers of the InSuperAbily group usually conclude the Summer Camp with a celebration.
Every experience is carefully designed, taking into account real needs as well as the wishes of the children and their families. Parents are also involved in outings, moments of exchange, and shared smiles. For many, seeing their child ride a horse, swim, or laugh with peers is something rare and precious, and it also strengthens the network among families.
Over the years, the Summer Camp has received funding and patronage from local authorities and private companies. It is not just a summer camp. It is a place for the soul, where children and young people with disabilities can find a recreational space for inner growth alongside commitment and physical activity, and where families find relief and rediscover the value of trust and shared time.
The outdoor activities represent the emotional heart of the Summer Camp. Each outing is chosen for its "experiential value" and the opportunities it offers, which these children often have to exclude from their daily lives due to architectural barriers, lack of organization, fear, or mistrust.
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