young adult life & job skills

JOIN “KIT”  Kennebec’s Indie Team

Kennebec Indie Team (KIT) young Adult life & job skills training includes:

  • Creating a breakfast menu, finding/creating recipes and grocery lists
  • Shopping for groceries from our chef’s storeroom & kitchen, or in town at the supermarket
  • Attending a breakfast cooking lesson & kitchen safety lesson with the camp chef
  • Preparing, cooking, and enjoying breakfast in the Chalet
  • Doing their own laundry
  • Keeping the Chalet and their rooms clean & tidy
  • Working in the garden, kitchen, maintenance, at activities and camper cabins
  • Earning Kenne-Dollars that can be used for treats, Kennebec clothing & privileges
  • Preparing, participating in a mock interview, learning how to answer questions

For participants to get the most out of K.I.T. life and job skills training, they should be enrolled for the full eight weeks – although if there is room, we will consider offering four, five, six and seven week sessions as well. As the Kennebec Independence Team program is always evolving, please share your comments or suggestions about this program with us.

We developed the K.I.T program to smooth the transition to adulthood for our campers through hands on teaching of young adult life & job skills.  Campers become more independent, assume responsibilities in camp, feel the satisfaction of having their work valued, all while enjoying a great Kennebec summer.  The members of the K.I.T. team and their counsellors are the envy of campers and staff alike, as they live in two newly renovated hilltop buildings: The Chalet & The Summit.  The Chalet has a large kitchen, where K.I.T campers and staff prepare many of their meals.  The Chalet and Summit both have showers and bathrooms, and the Chalet has a flat screen TV, deck and living room area. The Chalet looks, feels and operates like a home, so that the K.I.T participants learn how to share household responsibilities like cooking their own breakfasts and keeping the Chalet clean.

KIT campers have the opportunity to design and create amazing products. KIT campers love working on their projects and can't wait to sell them on parent days.

KIT campers learning to BBQ while cooking a cabin dinner at Camp Kennebec.

KIT Campers playing a prank and going trick or treating on the Green Line at Camp Kennebec.

K.I.T participants earn Kennebec dollars for their hard work that they exchange for snacks, Kennebec clothing and special excursions. By far the most popular use of Kennebec dollars so far has been to purchase a K.I.T-only, out-of-camp trip for ice cream and other treats.

To strike the right balance between fun and learning, we use two of the five activity periods each day to focus on practical, independent living and job skills training– but we add our special Kennebec style to make sure those sessions are fun. The three remaining periods are activity choices, so K.I.T. participants can water ski, horseback ride and participate in all the Kennebec activities and special events they’ve come to love. Some evenings, K.I.T. members participate in camp-wide programs like movies, dances and talent shows. On other nights, they build an evening program that they choose, with staff help.

Spending Arden Fair Profit on a Treat
Ice Cream Tastes Better When You’ve Earned It

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING

"I believe that my son and my other children grew more in 2 weeks of camp each year (more than school or therapies combined) because of the staff caring enough to help them grow. They see the person each child is, and who they can become." — Parent

WHAT CAMPERS ARE SAYING

"I like all the new counsellors. I met new people. It was an awesome experience. Camp means a lot to me. I love it!" — Camper

WHAT COUNSELLORS ARE SAYING

"I’m incredibly glad that I chose to work at camp this summer. I’ve had many great summers before, but I think I can honestly say that this was a summer of a lifetime. I wouldn’t want to miss all the experience I gained and the people I met!" — Counsellor

WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING

"I have referred families to Camp Kennebec for years, and those families that look into Camp Kennebec have wonderful experiences. As campers begin to outgrow their stay at our inclusive day camp, I am always looking for camp programs that they can grow into. Camp Kennebec is among the top camps that I recommend for our campers and families when a child who requires more support and/or modifications than a traditional overnight camp can offer. The feedback that I receive from our families and campers, who take advantage of all Camp Kennebec has to offer, is extremely positive."

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING

"This camp and all of the staff are so amazing. It is incredible the love, compassion and enthusiasm you all show for the campers (and their families). Having our son recognized by name as soon as we arrived at camp this summer, made him feel so welcomed." 

WHAT CAMPERS ARE SAYING

"I learned to knee and waterboard as well as tubing. They are somethings I have never done before and really enjoyed learning to do them." — Camper

WHAT COUNSELLORS ARE SAYING

"There is no place that I have felt more like myself, ever. I immediately felt at home and that feeling has not changed in four years, if anything it has only gotten stronger. This is a place that EVERYONE should be able to experience, to just laugh and play and be a kid." — Counsellor

WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING

"Camp Kennebec allows children with ADHD and other special needs to become confident and independent. Novel activities and social situations allow children and teens to conquer fears, develop friendships, learn how to communicate, resolve disagreements. The overall message a summer at Camp offers is that campers can be successful and autonomous individuals no matter what they encounter throughout their lives." — Expert

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING

"It’s a great camp for kids with special needs. The application process gave me the confidence in knowing that they have a screening process to meet the needs of the campers and it’s not about filling spots!" — Parent

WHAT CAMPERS ARE SAYING

"I am so happy to be here. I love my new friends. Next year we will all be in the same cabin again!" — Camper

WHAT COUNSELLORS ARE SAYING

"At camp, I learned to become flexible and just have fun. I spent my summer outside helping children have an amazing summer! What more could you ask for?" — Counsellor

WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING

"I grew up, and I mean that in the complete sense, at Camp Kennebec when it was still a camp for all children. Kennebec was not just a camp but indeed a second family for me and thousands of others who were joined in a huge Kennebec extended family. The care, imagination and absolute commitment to each child as an individual could not be surpassed. Our summers were magical and every Kennebecer still feels connected to his/her peers, even 45 years later. When Kennebec evolved into a Camp for special needs students I, as a special needs teacher in my professional life, could only admire the complete dedication and Kennebec commitment that went into each child. Now, as a school board commissioner in the West Island area of Montreal I meet parents of special needs students who tell me of their children's experiences at Kennebec when they find out that I went there too. I am not surprised at all to hear how Kennebec changed their lives because it changed mine." — Expert

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING

"He felt confident and happy each and every day. It was clear to us that all the staff really tried to connect with him and make him feel respected, important, and valued. He started talking about going back to camp, the minute we pulled out of the gates. I had high expectations and you definitely met my expectations for him. Thank you!" — Parent

WHAT CAMPERS ARE SAYING

"It's not just about the time we spend here in the summer, I have friends that I talk to during the year now. I start counting down to camp on the first day of school." — Camper