This summer, youths from all over the United States travel to San Diego to attend Camp Xcite!, a specialized summer camp tailored to accommodate children with bipolar disorder.
To aid campers in building friendships and having fun, the camp will include ‘teambuilding’ activities like beach day, paintball wars and water park day, according to John Foletta, director of Club Xcite, the San Diego organization that hosts the camp.
In addition to providing counselors with the right tools to assist campers, Mary Ann McDonnell, co-founder of Step Up for Kids, Inc. and owner of South Shore Psychiatric Services, Inc., an organization that aids children with bipolar disorder, will train Camp Xcite! counselors.
Kathy Regan, a registered nurse and nurse manager of the inpatient child psychology unit at Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts, will also assist, according to a press release.
Founded three years ago, Club Xcite is an after-school and summer mentorship program for families who need a helping hand in educating, mentoring or just involving their children in athletic, academic or social activities, according to a press release.
According to Foletta, the program serves children ages 7 to 14 and caters to kids from all over San Diego County.
“The real impetus for us getting started was the realization that schools are compelled to teach to the mean,” Foletta explained.
“That leaves the kids who have learning difficulties and who need extra attention on the periphery.”
Currently serving approximately 110 kids in the program, Foletta said, “Our whole tagline is that we fuse academic, athletic and social mentoring into one.
“It’s about coaxing and overall maturation for the kids.”
As an example, Foletta mentioned the club’s weekend social group, called the Youth Adventure Club.
The group meets every Sunday for activities such as paintballing, hikes, Padres games, laser tag and different cave explorations.
“We’re coming at it from a very different direction and one that maybe is not customary for kids, but one that they’re very receptive to,” he said.
In addition, two new programs have arisen from the success of Club Xcite.
Each is tailored to help kids with different kinds of special needs.
The first, Xcite Steps, will cater to kids with autism and Asperger syndrome.
The other, Xcite Connects, will provide some support and fun for blind and deaf kids, Foletta explained.
“Club Xcite was the original advent and then Xcite Steps and Xcite Connects have really evolved out of that program’s success,” he said.
Camp Xcite! will run in two session intervals, July 6 through 10th and July 30th through Aug.10th.
For more information, go to www.exciteway.com.