Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp 2011 Scholarship Fund

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Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp Program 2011 Scholarship Fund

Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp Program will select eligible camps to identify scholarship campers and offer up to $3000 in scholarship funds for campers with Autism Spectrum disorder to attend camp in the summer of 2011.

2011 Camp Scholarship Fund Timeline

  • January 20 - Request for Application available online
  • March 1 - Deadline for RFA, must be submitted by midnight EST
  • March 1-10 - Volunteer Review Committee reviews and ranks all applications
  • March 11 - High scoring camps are invited to participate in Camp Scholarship Fund
  • March 11-April 11 - Camps identify potential Scholarship Campers
  • April 11 - Camps submit Scholarship Camper Statements
  • April 15 - Qualified Campers are approved for funding.

Waivers, agreements, and evaluation reports are mailed to Camps/Campers.

  • April 29 - Waivers and agreements are signed and returned.
  • May 1-19 - Funding processed to Camps.
  • August 15 - Final Evaluation Reports returned.

Contact Information

For program related questions, contact Marianne Sullivan at msullivan@autismspeaks.org.

Program Funding

Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp Program will select eligible camps to identify scholarship campers and offers up to $3,000 in scholarship funds for campers with Autism Spectrum Disorder to attend a summer camp.

Request for Application

Camp Scholarship Fund applications must be submitted electronically using the Autism Speaks Online Grant System. Applications that are late, incomplete, or do not adhere to the required format will not be reviewed.

Camp Eligibility

All Camps providing a summer camp program to financially disadvantaged individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder are eligible to apply for a Camp Scholarship Fund through the Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp Program

Scholarship Camper

Camps selected to participate in the Camp Scholarship Fund are responsible for selecting Scholarship Campers. A Scholarship Camper has:

  1. a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder,
  2. is financially disadvantaged, and
  3. through camp participation has the opportunity for individual growth and development.

Final Evaluation Report

Selected Camps will provide a detailed accounting of the Camp Scholarship Fund. Camper and family evaluation of the Scholarship Camper's experience is provided to Autism Speaks.

Review Committee

Autism Speaks recruits members for the Autism Speaks' Baker Summer Camp Program Review Committee. The national committee will be composed of families affected by autism, individuals with autism, and autism professionals. The Committee reviews eligible applications and selects camps to receive a Camp Scholarship Fund.

The Review Committee reviews and ranks applications based on the following criteria:

  1. Overall camp program design and available activities
  2. Approach to serving individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
  3. Camp offers a wide ranger of opportunities for inclusion of campers with autism with age-appropriate peers
  4. Location of the camp is readily accessible to underserved communities
  5. Camp staff is provided with training in Autism Spectrum Disorders
  6. Camp administration has a clear, fair, and easily documented process for selecting Scholarship Campers
  7. The Camp has matching funds available for the 2011 Camp Scholarship fund.
  8. Camps will be reviewed based on the information presented in the online application.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of Interest include but are not limited to a pre-existing relationship between a Camp and a Member of the Review Committee. All conflicts must be declared at the beginning of the process. Anyone with a conflict of interest is not permitted to review the declared application.
All recommendations made by the Review Committee are based on information presented in the online application.

Camps We Have Funded

In 2010, Autism Speaks awarded scholarships to more than 330 campers at 51 camps across the country through the Autism Speaks Baker Summer Camp Scholarship Program. All camps in the U.S. that provide a summer program to financially disadvantaged individuals with autism were eligible to apply. 280 camps submitted scholarship grant applications which were reviewed by a national committee composed of families affected by autism, individuals with autism, and autism professionals. Autism Speaks encourages individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to contact local camp organizations in order to take advantage of this unique opportunity.