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CAMP MAUCHATEA
"Mauchatea" means "Be My Guide" in the Narragansett language. Camp Mauchatea, helps guide Rhode Island's blind and visually impaired youth on the journey to adulthood.
When the Rhode Island Lions Sight Foundation in 1992 agreed to expand a modest program originated by Rhode Island State Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired into a full fledged week long camping experience, there were few recreational opportunities for Rhode Island's visually impaired youngsters.
Camp Mauchatea was established thirty-five years ago to provide children with vision impairments the opportunity to be with other children with the same special needs. During the school year, they go to school with their sighted peers, but during the summer and winter vacation, the campers attend the Lions Sight Foundation camps designed to provide a social and educational outlet for children who are visually impaired.
All Rhode Islanders aged 6 to 17 who are legally blind and/or visually impaired, including those with multiple handicaps, are welcome at Camp Mauchatea for the summer and winter sessions.
Week long summer camp activities include: field trips, swimming, boating, bowling, skating, nature study, arts and crafts, adaptive cooking, campfires and sing-a-longs. Winter outings activities include: snow tubing and at an indoor water park: swimming, games and BINGO.
Winter and Summer Programs
As a residential program, campers bunk with their friends, and participate in adaptive sports such as soccer, volleyball, bowling and archery. Art classes in clay, painting, and crafts allow the children to creatively express themselves. Singing around the campfire and roasting marshmallows is a favorite activity, as is the dance and karaoke singing.
Proper social skills and instructions in activities of daily living teach campers to become well-rounded, and the older campers who graduate to become counselors often go on to college and professional jobs with the skills they have learned at Camp Mauchatea. Individual Lions Clubs sponsor events or activities for the campers, and many provide the financial sponsorship needed for the program to continue to run.
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For more information, contact Danielle Petsch by submitting the Camp MAUCHATEA Information Request Form below.
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