This summer the Kings Bay Y- JCC Brooklyn will be launching an amazing new pilot project and we wanted to make sure to share this news with you.

Our Summer Camp for children who are blind or have low vision — the first-ever day camp of its kind in Brooklyn — will operate at the Fort Hamilton Army Base in Bay Ridge from August 7 – 18.  JCC Brooklyn’s Special Needs Director Irina Kocherova will help develop and supervise the program. We’ll be bringing in an assistant director and specialists to work directly with the kids and ensure that they have a high-quality summer experience that is no different from their sighted peers.

We’re immensely proud of this program. It was unacceptable to us that kids with blindness or low vision didn’t have a single day camp to go to in Brooklyn that catered to their unique needs. We’re so grateful that we have the opportunity to establish ourselves as the first agency in Brooklyn to fill this void. Inclusiveness is central to our agency’s mission, and we believe that all kids regardless of their special needs deserve a fun and enriching summer experience. We’re confident that our new pilot project will provide these kids with a summer to remember.

Please help spread the word about this new program. We have 25 seats to fill and the camp is FREE. The cost of operating this camp can range from $2,500-$2,700 per camper/per week. In future years, our goal is to increase our enrollment and expand the camp into a full summer program. As a valued member of the JCC Brooklyn family, we want you to feel a part of this incredible new project. By donating, you can help it succeed!

If you want more information about our Camp for Blind Youth, reach out to camp@jcc-brooklyn.org .