Tuesday Summit Spotlight

Tree-Top Triumphs and Dance Floor Drama!

Our campers were awoken bright and early to music played VERY enthusiastically by our mentors on Tuesday morning. (Think less "gentle wake-up call" and more "surprise concert at 6:30 AM!") While it was an early wake-up we were all excited to get ready for our day, devour breakfast, and hop on the bus to head to Tree-Top Adventures.

This location has achieved legendary status among returning campers since we first visited their Canton, Massachusetts location in 2023. Apparently, nothing says 'summer fun' like conquering the treetops and discovering your inner squirrel while safely harnessed to nature's playground!

Many campers stepped out of their comfort zones by climbing to heights that would make squirrels nervous, while others showcased their teamwork qualities by demonstrating to their campmates how to hook up their harnesses to the climbing apparatus. (Special shoutout to our expert gear-up crew who became our resident safety champions - helping everyone get adventure-ready in record time!)

This is so heartwarming for staff to see because many campers struggle with self-confidence, yet here they are defying gravity and reaching new heights – quite literally – that they never thought possible. It's like watching baby birds learn to fly, except with more safety equipment. 

The staff was also very proud of campers showing others how to clip themselves onto the ropes course. The ability to show kindness and respect while working as a team is something that many with Turner syndrome thrive at doing. Who knew that becoming honorary tree-dwelling superheroes together could forge friendships stronger than titanium harness clips? Our mighty squirrel squad is unstoppable!

After our treetop adventures we got off the bus at Emerson and attacked lunch with the ferocity of people who just burned 2,000 calories from pure adrenaline alone. The great thing about the Emerson College cafeteria is that everything is so clearly labeled for people with food allergies, making it very easy to find something to eat. There are also many allergy-friendly options, proving that "safe to eat" and "actually tastes good" aren't mutually exclusive concepts!

After lunch, we attended on-site rotations with some of our favorite returning instructors and also got to meet some fabulous new instructors who were immediately swept up in our trademark BITSS camp energy and excitement. They jumped right into the fun without missing a beat! Our returning Pound instructor is great friends with our camp nurse Kristen and she exudes kindness to our campers. Pound class is a great workout where you get to use drumsticks and music to perform a rock concert/pilates type workout. It's basically what happens when a fitness instructor says, "What if we combined exercise with allowing people to hit things rhythmically?" Pure genius.

We were very excited to offer dance as a rotation this year. Our instructor Kathy Smith taught dances like they do on stage, allowing the kids' inner performer personalities to shine through – some a bit more dramatically than others. Let's just say Broadway better watch out.

We also offered voice lessons to keep the campers in tip-top shape for karaoke. We need our voices to stay fresh throughout the week of BITSS because we are ALWAYS singing here. Our joyful melodies have turned our campus into the happiest musical on the block - we might need to start handing out playbills soon! 

We were able to chat about all the fun we had throughout the day over dinner and continued to connect over board games and down time. Eventually, what happens during board games is everyone comes into a circle and plays the fan favorite called Mafia – where we learn which campers have surprisingly convincing poker faces and which ones couldn't lie even if their mafia bragging rights depended on it. 

The older campers get to connect with the younger campers by explaining how the game is played, creating an elaborate web of accusations, betrayals, and dramatic "deaths" that Shakespeare would approve of. After several rounds of Mafia (and some Oscar-worthy performances), our mentors sent us to get our medications and go to bed. We had a great day.