BEARSKIN MEADOW CAMP

Celebrating 71 years of caring for children, teens and families affected by diabetes

"We both learned so much about how to live better lives together with diabetes that in such a short time at camp our lives are changed for the better and we left with so much hope and love."    *Family Camp Parent, 2005

BEARSKIN MEADOW CAMP -- AN OVERVIEW

Bearskin Meadow Camp, BMC, is one of the oldest and largest wilderness resident camps for children, teens and families affected by diabetes. We’re located in the Sequoia National Forest, 65 miles east of Fresno, California at an elevation of 5800 feet. Campers and families join us from all over California, the United States, and the world.

Celebrating its 71 ^th season of camp, BMC was founded with the philosophy that children and teens with diabetes can do anything other kids can do, including experience summer camp adventures. We also know that diabetes is a condition that affects the whole family, including siblings and parents, too. From June to August each summer, we offer a number of different specialty programs to choose from including: kids camps; teen camp; family camps; and leadership training programs. Bearskin Meadow gives campers and parents a uniquely supportive community of peers and adults who truly understand the day to day challenges of living with diabetes.

Whether it is a great overnight campout, a tough hike accomplished by the group, or a funny skit presented at camp fire, we do it together and with a cooperative spirit that encourages each individual to succeed this his or her fullest extent.

DIABETES MANAGEMENT & EDUCATION
BMC stays on the cutting edge of diabetes management. Our teaching is guided by the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, which showed that tight control of blood sugars can delay or even prevent complications. By applying this knowledge we help campers make daily choices in diabetes management.

Our health professional team is led by Dr. Mary Simon, who has insulin-dependent diabetes and has been our Medical Director for over 20 years. Dr. Mary lives at camp all summer long and oversees a volunteer team of physicians, nurses, dietitians, diabetes educators, social workers, nursing students, and medical students who work with our campers and families. We check blood sugars before every meal, night snack, midnight, and whenever else needed throughout the day. Insulin adjustment and carbohydrate counting is a regular part of the day. Each camper’s insulin dose is adjusted according to activity level and carbohydrate intake.

What do Campers & Families Learn about Diabetes by Attending Camp?                                                       Back to the top

Campers and families learn the skills necessary to live long, healthy and successful lives with diabetes. Some of the formal diabetes topics we cover at our different sessions include: insulin therapy, carbohydrate counting, low and high blood sugars, exercise management, sick days, diabetes & school, and the latest in diabetes research and technology. We have a wide curriculum of educational topics for parents to choose from and we provide the most up-to-date in diabetes treatment and management.

While much of our education is formal, much of the learning that happens at camp is during the down times of the day and the informal moments at camp like at meal times, rest hour, by the campfire, or on the camp swings. At any given moment, you can hear campers and families talking about the ups and downs of daily living with diabetes. By being together at camp in a supportive and unique environment, our participants gain the knowledge that they are not alone with diabetes. The friendships created each summer often extend well beyond the camping season.

WHO ARE THE Camp Staff & Volunteers?             Back to the top

We are proud of our staff and volunteers at BMC. While our camp facility & camp program are important to the camp experience, it is truly the relationship that our campers have with each other and with the staff and volunteers that can make or break their camp experience. We hire mature, dedicated, and professional staff and volunteers from all over the United States and the world, many of whom have diabetes, all who have worked with children before. Our staff undergo a rigorous six day training prior to the start of camp that includes everything from ages & stages of child development, diabetes education, and risk management to skills of super counselors, conflict resolution, team building, Our staff include healthy, successful role models including college students, athletes, teachers, social workers, recreation therapists, and long time campers. It is the love for the campers and families that keeps more than 70% of our staff and volunteers returning to camp year, after year, after year.

TELL ME ABOUT THE CAMP FACILITIES                       Back to the top

Camp is located in the Sequoia National Forest under the beautiful overhang of the redwood trees at an elevation of 5800 feet. We sleep outside on decks and under the stars at BMC. We have many campers and families who come to us who don’t think of themselves as “outdoorsy people” and who love the facilities at BMC! Our decks have 12 – 18 beds each and are covered at one end by a small roof to shelter belongings. We have a heated pool, an award winning arts & crafts hall, a fully stocked medical center and headquarters building, a dining hall that seats 230, a huge grass playing filed, a campfire circle, a fishing creek, and numerous hiking trails.

TELL ME ABOUT THE COST OF THE PROGRAMS      Back to the top
Our mission is to serve as many individuals and families as possible, so we purposely price the cost of Bearskin Meadow Camp and all our other programs well below the actual cost of running these programs.  The cost of our program includes all medical personnel, counselors and other staff, equipment and medical supplies (including insulin), as well as the cost of all food, housing, program supplies, and any other needs of our participants.  To ensure that no one is turned away, we have several options for participating in our programs, including a “no interest” payment plan for up to 10 months and two scholarship program that will subsidize either part or all of the cost of camps for those who qualify.

Finally, our fees do not reflect the actual cost of camp, since the actual cost to attend per camper is much higher than our fees (example: for 2 parents and 1 child to attend family camp costs DYF $3,480, yet we only charge $1000 for a family of this size to attend camp).  DYF is passionately committed to raising necessary funds throughout the the entire year, allowing us to keep the cost of our programs as low as possible, while serving the greatest number of children and families who need to attend diabetes camp.  Our expenses are much higher than most camps due to significant medical costs (including a full-time medical director at camp), our commitment to the safety and fun of the program participants, and our need to maintain our 40+ year-old Bearskin Meadow Camp facility.  In addition, we have close to a 2 to 1 camper to counselor ratio, well-exceeding staffing recommended by the American Camping Association.

 FINANCIAL AID                   Back to the top
The Diabetic Youth Foundation never wants a camper or family to miss out on camp because of an inability to pay the camp fees. We know how much camp can change a life, and we are honored to help in that process. We have a two tiered scholarship program for families who may need a little, or a lot, of assistance in getting to camp. We also have a no interest payment plan which enables families to spread payments out for up to ten months.

Our CHIP scholarship program provides a reduction of up to $300 off any camp program.  Our BRUNO scholarship program is for those who need from $300 to a full-fee scholarship.  DYF recognizes that each family has unique needs and challenges, which is why we keep our application process simple.  DYF is committed to helping all children and their families receive our special kind of support and information only available at Bearskin Meadow Camp.  For more information on our scholarship program, please contact the office at 925-680-4994.

TRANSPORTATION              Back to the top
Transportation is available for the all Kids and Teen Camp Sessions, as well as for the LIT II participants for a fee of $60 each way from Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Modesto, Fresno, Merced, Visalia, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE INFORMATION

Bearskin Meadow Camp is an equal opportunity program because acceptance and participation in the program are the same for everyone without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex or handicap.  Discrimination in any form is strictly against agency policy and should be reported to the: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250.

Bearskin Meadow Camp operates under a special permit from the Sequoia National Forest.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about Bearskin Meadow Camp and to request an application, contact:

Diabetic Youth Foundation
5167 Clayton Road, Suite F,
Concord, CA 94521
Phone (925) 680-4994
Fax (925) 680-4863
Emails: info@dyf.org