Camp ESN Programs

About Our Programs

Easterseals Nebraska has over 50 years experience delivering high quality, adaptive, and fun camp and recreational programming. We provide engaging, healthy, and lively programs so that campers can experience the joys and challenges of camp while gaining independence, trying new things during immersive and constructive activities, and make new friends or catch up with old ones, in a safe and adapted environment.

With a low staff to camper ratio and an on-site Registered Nurse, we can serve youth and adults of any ability level. We can't wait to see you there!

Why Camp?

It's Fun!

Fishing, canoeing, archery, swimming, horse back riding, ropes course, campfire, s'mores, new friends! What's NOT to love?

Respite

Campers enjoy and epic time at camp while caregivers get a break to take time for themselves!

Independence

Campers try things they never thought they could imagine, such as getting out of their wheelchair and riding a horse!

We Have Something for Everyone!

Overnight Camps

An immersive camp experience to further grow in independence and personal autonomy while developing meaningful relationships with peers.

Day Camps

An opportunity for campers to connect with nature, and reach outside comfort zones to try new things, but have the opportunity to return home each night.

Leadership Camps

An experience for youth to develop upon important job and life skills such as self-advocacy, teamwork, problem solving, goal setting, and independent living.

What Makes Us Great

Our Staff

Our staff is comprised of students, special-ed teachers, and nurses (RN).
All staff are background checked and trained in abuse prevention and reporting.
The number one prerequisite to being on our staff is to have the compassion and desire to serve others in a meaningful and selfless way.
Each staff member holds certifications in CPR/1st Aid/AED, Epilepsy 1st Aid, Non-Violent Crisis Intervention, and more depending on their role.
They spend over 40 hours in training each summer learning how to facilitate programs and how to adapt them so all can participate.
Many staff return summer-after-summer, some for more than 10 years, because of their passion to provide camp for our campers.
No staff is ever left one-on-one alone with a camper, this keeps everyone safe!

Our Program

We believe in experiential education. Our campers learn by doing, through experiences, in the world's largest classroom: the great outdoors!
Each activity our campers do, from archery to hanging out around the campfire, is done with purpose and intention. Camp Counselors help each camper grow and improve on skills as obvious as hitting the bullseye at archery, but also by helping them improve on their social skills to make new friends while eating a s'more at campfire.
While we aren't accredited (yet) by the American Camp Association, we meet majority of standards to make sure all our programs are led by qualified staff. Once we have a permanent camp location, we will officially become accredited.
We utilize the Weikert Center's research based assessment tool to ensure we are providing a high quality, social and emotional Learning Program.

Our Campers

While majority of our campers come from across the entire state of Nebraska, campers from other states are also welcome!
Campers can be as young as 7, but can attend the longevity of their life. That means they get to go to camp FOREVER! Our oldest camper in 2019 was 86.
Our "Legacy Campers" have attended Camp ESN for over 50 years of their own life. That's almost as long as the camp itself has existed! Camp ESN was founded in 1965.
All abilities are welcome at Camp ESN! That means campers without a disability and those who require a lot of extra support can attend camp together.
Examples of campers we see each year: siblings, kids who just want to come to camp, campers with ADHD, learning disabilities or mental illness, campers who use wheel or power chairs, campers with medical needs like catheters or tracheas, campers who need help bathing, changing, or eating, campers who need 1:1 supervision*, and everyone in-between!**

Our Locations

We rent various facilities across the state of Nebraska. We will follow this model until our new, barrier free camp is built.
Renting facilities that are as 'outdoorsy' as possible and have that 'campy' feel but are also safe for campers** is always our goal.
All camp session locations have access to a building with A/C, restrooms with potable running water, designated storm shelters, and plenty of natural space for campers to explore, run, and play.
We have wonderful partners, each who have grown to be strong advocates for accessibility and have become open to our feedback on how they can improve their site's accessibility.
Our facility partners within the last 3 seasons have been: Camp Comeca, 4-H Camp, Camp Carol Joy Holling, Girl Scouts, Nebraska Game and Parks, Omaha Zoo, Wildlife Safari Park, and the US Forest Service. Do you know of any other 'hidden gem' facilities that we might not know of? Let us know and maybe we will host a session there one day!

Our Future

We believe camp is for everyone and that everyone should be able to enter through the same door. After hopping around the state for over two decades and renting from camps that were designed well before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, we will finally have a place of our own to call home! Camp Easterseals Nebraska is currently in the process of building a barrier free camp in Blair, NE. We hope to open our new camp within the next few years. To learn more about our new camp, how to get involved, or how to donate, click here!

If you or your organization is interested in partnering with us in fundraising efforts or are interested in utilizing our property for your own camp or event in the future, please email us at [email protected] and we will connect with you.

* For campers requiring 1:1 supervision, staff are never left fully alone with their camper. This keeps everyone safe!
**There is at least one session that each camper is eligible for, but they may not be eligible for all sessions. Be sure to read the eligibility of each session as the facilities we rent aren't always as accessible as we'd like them to be. Once we have our new camp built, there will be no limitations.

Ready to Learn More?

Before applying for camp, be sure to review Camper Application Instructions here and application instructions here.
Once you are ready to apply to camp, click here to go to CampDoc, our registration system.