“Camp Koinonia is an outdoor education program for children ages 7-21 who have multiple disabilities. The program was developed in 1977 at Virginia Tech as part of a class with the primary purpose of providing a meaningful, experiential learning opportunity for university students while involving children and young adults, some with severe disabilities, in outdoor activities that they would not be able to do otherwise. During the first year of the program a counselor/camper duo submitted the winning name for the program – Camp Koinonia. Koinonia comes from the Greek and means ‘fellowship’ and ‘caring community’. Since that time the purpose and mission of Camp Koinonia has been to provide a ‘caring community’ for our campers in sense of true ‘fellowship’. It is also said of Camp Koinonia that this is ’An Experience That Will Last A Lifetime’ which has proven true for hundreds of individuals over the years.
Our Goals
1. To provide each camper with an educational and fun oriented experience in an outdoor environment.
2. To provide an educational experience for each university student involved in the program.
3. To provide an enriching and rewarding experience that will foster the emotional, social, and physical well- being of each camper.
4. To emphasize appropriate socialization in terms of playing and working together.
5. To emphasize what the camper can do rather than what he/she cannot do.
6. Provide programs that are within the range of abilities of each camper.”
For more information, go to Camp Koinonia.