Lobs & Lessons offers TeamsmART summer camp for middle school children with intellectual disabilities

By Mike Porter

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Lobs & Lessons program, VCUarts Department of Art Education and the Partnership for People with Disabilities are teaming up to offer a special summer camp for middle school children with intellectual disabilities.

The TeamsmART summer camp takes place Aug. 13 until Aug 17 from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at The Mary & Frances Youth Center, 120 S. Linden St., on the Monroe Park Campus.

The summer camp will focus on cooperative team building through tennis, swimming, nutrition and art.

The camp will provide basic and advanced tennis lessons during the first part of the day and will expose campers to a variety of art forms, including digital art, sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking and fibers in the afternoon. Each day will conclude with time for swimming.

“We want to give the children a well-rounded summer camp experience,” said Tina Carter, program director of the Mary and Frances Youth Center.  “They’ll have the opportunity to meet new friends, learn how to make healthy snacks and work together on art projects.”

The camp is open to 6^th, 7^th and 8^th graders with limitations in intellectual function, such as learning, reasoning and problem-solving and limitations in adaptive behavior, including social skills. There is a camp fee of $125 per child and scholarships are available, based on financial need and documentation.

The summer camp is supported by a diversity and inclusion grant from the United States Tennis Association.

To enroll in TeamsmART, complete and submit a registration form by Friday, Aug. 10. For more information, contact Tina Carter at 827-0802.