All-Girls T1 Adventure Camp

Type 1 and LADA Parents of Children with Type 1 Diabetes
1

What would you expect from an all-girls outdoor adventure Camp, specifically targeted for girls with T1?

I'm in the baby stages of starting a camp session targeted towards girls 14-17 with T1...and I want to hear what you think! Activities would include:

Backpacking

Camping

Rafting & Kayaking

Trips to Hot Springs

and...

A Heck of a Lot of Fun!


It would be a trip for girls who want to get out there, to do something fun and adventurous. As a T1, I know it can be daunting to get out of your daily routine. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a year ago. Since then, I have become more and more active in the diabetic community. I didn't let it slow me down, not one bit, and I want other girls like me to feel the same way. Especially in teenage years, Diabetes can be a drag. Diabetics can forget that they are still capable of anything, that they are not bound by their condition...


The trip would be planned with the help of a CDE and Endocrinologist, and experienced camp leaders.


Just wanted to pitch the idea to the community, and see what Moms, Dads and Girls think of the idea!

2

Hi there!

Unfortunately I’m not the mom of a T1 girl but I wanted to suggest that you contact the local ADA or independent diabetes camps to see if they’d like to work with you to establish a program (or if they need program staff for existing adventure programs.) Of all the diabetes camps in the country, there are only 2 that are single-sex (Barton & Joslin in MA, and that’s because they pre-date coed camping) so you might not be able to focus solely on girls, but you never know! Partnering with a camp could get you over some major hurdles (insurance, medical staff, etc). Check out http://www.diabetescamps.org

3

Thanks for your advice! I’ll definately look into that…While I haven’t partnered with a Diabetes camp, I have partnered with an amazing all-girls adventure camp.

4

Sounds like a great camp idea. My daughter is 12 and I think having something on dealing with the ups and downs of bs during puberty would be a great discussion item for the camp…

5

thanks for the advice!
I think the main focus (in terms of diabetes education) would be learning how your own body works with strenuous physical activity… if girls could go home with a better understanding of how their bodies handle that kind of activity, and the benifits of staying active as a T1, along with a sense of “I Can Do Anything” (which I know they all can do!)

6

Great idea, but how about some activities for the girly-girl type? Swimming would be a must in the summer as well.

7

The camp I’m partnering with is wilderness-based, so trips to alpine lakes and such may be the only swimming we would get.
But don’t get me wrong, the trip is for GIRLS!

When I was younger (before Diabetes was a part of my life) I was a camper with this amazing company, and as a “girly-girl” myself, I had soon become a "Burly-Girl"
Nail-painting, hair-braiding, and Road-Side Dance Parties are all part of the fun!