Camp ASCEND
A trauma-informed, disability-affirming summer camp where safety comes first — and growth follows.
Registration for Summer 2026 is currently closed. If you have questions, please reach out to us at riseup@thephoenixcollaborative.com
Camp ASCEND is designed for children with trauma histories and/or disabilities who are often excluded from traditional camp experiences. We focus on nervous-system safety, authentic connection, and growth at each child’s own pace.
Because every child rises differently.
Get Involved
Volunteering at Camp ASCEND means helping create a safe, inclusive space where children with disabilities and trauma histories can belong, grow, and thrive. Whether supporting activities or providing one-on-one encouragement, you play a vital role in making camp accessible, joyful, and empowering for every camper (and their grown-ups!).
Working at Camp ASCEND means changing lives. As a staff member, you create a safe, inclusive space where our campers experience belonging, confidence, and growth. Through your steady presence, encouragement, and support, campers build skills, form friendships, try new things, and discover strengths they may never have seen in themselves.
Sponsoring Camp ASCEND is an investment in belonging. Your support helps our campers access a safe, therapeutic camp experience designed to meet their unique needs. Your partnership directly fuels inclusion and connection that every child deserves — it also ensures that families are not forced to choose between care and survival.
ASCEND: At-a-glance
Why Camp ASCEND Is Different
Camp ASCEND was built for children who are often excluded from traditional camp experiences. We are:
Trauma-informed & Disability-affirming
Relationship-centered
Regulation-focused
Rooted in dignity, safety, and belonging
Why Families Choose Camp ASCEND
Regulation before expectation
Small groups and high relational support
Flexible participation and sensory-aware spaces
Staff trained in connection-centered care
Here, children don’t have to change who they are to belong.
They already belong.
Tell me more
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Camp ASCEND serves children ages 4–12 with trauma histories and/or disabilities, in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Neurotypical siblings are welcome to attend alongside their siblings.
We also offer an ASCEND Vocational Program for teens ages 13–18, focused on life skills, confidence, and supported exploration of interests.
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Camp ASCEND will offer:
Full-day programming from 9:00 AM–4:30 PM
Half-day programming from 9:00 AM–1:00 PM.
Part-time programming (either a T/TH option or a M/W/F option with half-day or full-day hours available)
Drop-off begins shortly before 9:00 AM, and pick-up takes place promptly at the end of each camper’s scheduled day. Clear arrival and dismissal routines help support safety, predictability, and smooth transitions for all campers.
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Camp ASCEND tuition is:
$375 per week for half-day campers
$475 per week for full-day campers.
$95 per day for part-time campers.
We understand that every family’s circumstances are different. Limited scholarships are available to help support access, and neurotypical siblings will receive a 20% tuition discount.
Our goal is to make Camp ASCEND welcoming and accessible, while continuing to offer a safe, high-quality experience for every child.
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Camp ASCEND offers a thoughtful blend of therapeutic support and recreational activities, designed to meet each camper’s developmental, sensory, and emotional needs. Programming may include Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Yoga, Mentoring, Adaptive Bike Days, and Sensory-Rich Experiences such as water play and hands-on sensory exploration.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services are available by parent request.
All activities are flexible, inclusive, and guided by each child’s comfort level — supporting growth through connection, play, and safety.
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Camp ASCEND is thoughtfully staffed to ensure every child feels safe, supported, and seen. We maintain a 1:2 camper-to-staff ratio, with 1:1 support available for campers who need additional assistance.
All senior staff are CPI trained, and two directors are on site at all times to provide leadership, oversight, and support. Throughout the day, care is trauma-informed, regulation-focused, and relationship-centered, prioritizing nervous-system safety and trusted connection in every interaction.
Our goal is to create an environment where children can explore, engage, and grow — knowing they are well cared for every step of the way.
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For Summer 2026, Camp ASCEND will be located at:
Maple Grove Church
3210 Proffit Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22911
What are the steps?
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Complete the registration form and pay the $50 deposit (per camper) to reserve your child’s spot. If plans change, you can cancel up to 14 days before camp starts for a refund.
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Every returning camper family will get a 30 minute call to update us on what your child needs — their triggers, their regulation strategies, feeding needs, and anything else that’s important to share.
If you are new to Camp ASCEND, we will schedule a 1 hour in-person visit to get to know you and your camper before camp starts!
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After registration, we'll send you a Welcome Packet with everything you need to know—detailed schedules, what to bring, add-ons to consider, and more. This will go out in May, so stay tuned!
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Now all that's left to do is pack your camper’s bag and get excited for their upcoming summer adventure!
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Please contact us at riseup@thephoenixcollaborative.com or call (434) 270-0889 to get your questions answered!
The ASCEND Framework
At Camp ASCEND, everything we do is grounded in a simple, research-informed framework designed for children with trauma histories and/or disabilities. ASCEND is not about pushing growth — it’s about creating the conditions where growth can safely happen.
Each pillar builds on the one before it. Safety and relationship come first — always.
A — Acknowledge Lived Experience
We begin by acknowledging each child’s lived experience.
Many children come to camp carrying stories their bodies remember, even when words are hard to find. At Camp ASCEND, children are never asked to leave those experiences at the gate. Instead, we honor them with compassion and respect.
We recognize trauma as something that happened to a child, not something that defines them.
We honor sensory, emotional, medical, and developmental differences without judgment.
We meet children where they are — without expectations to perform, comply, or “be okay.”
Acknowledgment is the foundation of dignity and trust.
S — Stabilize
Before learning, play, or challenge, children need nervous system safety.
Stabilization means helping each child feel physically, emotionally, and relationally secure. Our environment is intentionally designed to reduce overwhelm and increase predictability.
Consistent routines and visual supports
Sensory-aware spaces and flexible participation
Co-regulation before self-regulation
Staff trained in trauma-informed and disability-competent care
We don’t rush regulation — we support it.
C — Connect
Healing and growth happen in relationship.
At Camp ASCEND, connection is not earned through behavior — it is freely given. Our staff prioritize presence, attunement, and trust-building in every interaction.
Small group ratios that allow for real relationships
Intentional moments of joy, play, and shared experience
Respect for communication differences and alternative forms of expression
A culture of belonging, not comparison
Connection creates safety. Safety creates possibility.
E — Empower
Empowerment means restoring choice, voice, and agency.
Many of our campers have had little control over their bodies, environments, or schedules. At Camp ASCEND, empowerment is woven into the daily routine.
Choice-based activities and flexible engagement
Strength-based support that highlights abilities
Encouragement without pressure
Leadership opportunities appropriate to each child’s capacity
We help children experience themselves as capable — not because they are pushed, but because they are supported.
Growth is not linear — and that’s okay.
We nurture growth gently, responsively, and without comparison. Success looks different for every child, and all progress counts.
Emotional growth through safe expression
Social growth through supported interaction
Skill-building through adaptive, inclusive activities
Confidence built over time, not demanded on day one
We celebrate effort, curiosity, and persistence — not perfection.
N — Nurture Growth
D — Discover Purpose
Every child has value, meaning, and something to contribute.
At Camp ASCEND, children are invited to explore what lights them up — interests, strengths, creativity, and passions — in ways that feel safe and affirming.
Opportunities for exploration without fear of failure
Encouragement of identity, curiosity, and self-expression
Recognition that purpose can be quiet, playful, creative, or still unfolding
Purpose isn’t something we assign — it’s something we help children discover.
Encouraging someone to be entirely themselves is the loudest way to love them.
We can’t wait to love on your kiddos!