Montgomery County camp focuses on fun, learning and independence for kids and young adults with disabilities
WORCESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- A special camp for children and young adults with disabilities is underway in Montgomery County. Variety — The Children's Charity of the Delaware Valley is all about fun and learning.
Planting seeds for the future at Variety Camp, a specialty program for children and young adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. The focus is on planting, growing and selling bounty from the garden.
"It's a great way to get them to explore their environments and experience new things," Nick Larcinese, the director of programming, said. "Thirty kids are in our vocational program every day, 50 to 60 in our extended school year, right around 20 in our day camp."
The nonprofit provides social, educational, and vocational programs.
"We want to better prepare folks for life. We want them to be more self-confident and when we want them to live as independent a life as they've determined would make them happy," Larcinese said.
Variety camper Steven Kent, 19, is in the kitchen making cookies, focused on an important life skill.
"More independence," Kent said. "Because independence will get you farther in life."
It's a sprawling campus on 77 acres in Worchester with all kinds of opportunities.
"We do things like art activities, nature activities, science, technology, engineering, all of those, right? It just depends on what our folks are interested in and then what their needs are," Larcinese said.
No matter the ability level, Larcinese said everybody feels important. There are 110 campers at Variety between the ages of 5 to 24.
"The people and everybody here is nice and that's why it makes a good community," Kent said.
