A ninth camp is offered at 74th Street Elementary School and is a therapeutic program for adults and teens with disabilities. The Willis S. Johns Teen Camp is booked, but seven other sites need scores more teens. Shuder said one reason the camps are not filled is because parents start leaving their children home alone at age 13. She also said parents are not aware of the camps, and their children might think that it is like the day-care camps. Even if many of the camps are not filled to capacity, Shuder said, they will operate.
Children can attend camp for part of the day or the entire day.
Chuck Boehme, recreation supervisor at Willis S. Johns, said the camp teaches respect and socialization and interaction skills. He said the camps remain successful because the city gives teens a well-planned, active summer. People think this is like the elementary program, but it is expanded and a lot more thought and design goes into it. He said they wanted to leave the recreation sites and go to the movies, the mall and amusement parks. Teen Camp has grown by about 100 participants each year.