Based on household income and family size. Scholarship applications are included with application forms (see website).
Session Lengths
Food/Nutritional Notes:
2 Week Session
Meals are served family style. Special diets are accommodated.
Session Information
The Katie Isaacson Elaine Gordon Lodge is an innovative summer resort for adults with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Sessions are available for adults and young adults.
Activities include horseback riding, swimming, photography, creative arts, music, sports, video making, drama and many more, we strive to provide a true vacation experience in a safe, non-restrictive environment.
The Lodge is a unique place to grow and experience the most amazing summer of your life. The surrounding mountains, private lake and natural splendor create the perfect atmosphere.
More About Camp
The Lodge is located in East Jewett, New York about 2-and-a-half hours away from New York City, near the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort. The lodge is situated on 200 acres of land nestled in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. There is a 60 acre lake where boating and fishing takes place.
Our staff is mature, enthusiastic, diverse, and most importantly, very caring! We always try to have at least 25-35% of our best staff returning from the previous year. All new staff are carefully screened before being hired. All staff must be at least 18 years old. Most counselors who are hired have at least one year of college training and experience with the developmentally disabled population. Many of the staff come from abroad - countries such as England, Australia, and Ireland - and must speak and understand the English language.
Our senior staff have many years of experience working at The Lodge; they consist of the Camp Director, Asst. Camp Director, 4 Lodge Leaders, Head Lifeguard, Nursing Supervisor, Program Coordinator, Office Manager, and Head Chef. In addition, our camp has certified lifeguards, program specialists, nurses, cooks and dining hall staff, and other trained staff to make the stay of each guest comfortable, safe and
fun. And all staff participate in a rigorous 7-day training prior to the arrival of the guests.
We have several general goals for each guest. First, we want to provide a good vacation opportunity for the guest as well as a good respite for their family and caregivers. We want to increase each guest's independence in small ways during their time at camp. We will provide many supervised opportunities for social interactions and will assist them with improving their socialization with others. We will
provide choices for each guest and encourage them to try different things.
Since one of the guiding principles is to give our guests the chance to make decisions, we offer an array of attractive program options. In the last couple of years, we have added to our facilities, developed new activity options, and improved on our popular existing programs that past guests have enjoyed. A motorized pontoon boat, a gazebo on the waterfront, and a few computers with internet access were all added in order to enhance the Lodge environment for our guests' enjoyment.
Our current list of activities include arts and crafts, sports, swimming in the pool, boating or fishing at the lake, computer center, music and dance, sports, pony rides and a souvenir shop. Each evening,everyone participates in a variety of Lodge wide programs, such as talent shows, theatrical activities and dances. On the last night of the session, everyone dresses up and attends a special banquet dinner and show.
