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Program Details

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Activities Offered
  • Archery
  • Basketball
  • Bowling
  • Camp
  • Canoeing
  • Dance
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Hiking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Martial Arts/ Self-Defense
  • Sailing
  • Scuba Diving
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Various Recreational Activities
  • Various Sports
  • Water Skiing
Building Access
  • Meets ADA standards
  • Accessible areas of building: Shower Facilities; Parking Area; Ramps

Participants Served
  • Age range of participants: 7 to 19

Membership Fees
  • Fee to participate in the Program : Yes

Transportation
  • Accessible by Public Transportation: No

  • Transportation Provided by the Program: Yes

Notes

The One Step At A Time Summer Camp is for children and adolescents, ages 7 through 19 with cancer and leukemia. It is based at Aurora University's George Williams Educational Center in William's Bay, Wisconsin, and was founded in 1978 by Dr. Edward S. Baum.

The One Step At A Time Summer Camp is divided into seven different programs, each of which conducts activities for a specific age group. These programs include Standard Camp, Stepping Up, Excursion, Campcraft, Water Sports, ACE, and EXCEL.

  • Standard Camp
    The Standard Camp program provides traditional camp activities for one or two weeks to campers between ages 7 through 10. The Standard Camp program includes sports like swimming, boating, hiking, arts & crafts, nature lore, games and a variety of evening activities. All campers have an opportunity to spend one night camping out, cooking meals, singing around a campfire and sleeping in tents. The Standard Camp program is what being a kid is all about: fun, friendship, some independence, more fun and some silliness. And because it is an important part of the One Step At A Time Summer Camp, the necessary medications or the watchful eye of an oncology nurse do not interfere with being a kid. Children may choose to attend Standard Camp for one or two weeks.

  • Stepping Up
    Stepping Up is a one or two week transitional program for children ages 11 through 12. As the name implies, it is a step up from Standard Camp and provides these young campers with many activities that pre-teenage children enjoy. The Stepping Up camper learns basic camping skills during the first week to prepare for a three-day and two-night camping trip to Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, during the second week of camp. Campers learn to bond with each other through these activities, developing their strength and boosting their self-confidence. While at Devil's Lake, the campers spend time hiking, boating and swimming, as well as learning to assemble their tents and prepare their meals. The Stepping Up program also includes a few day excursions off campus, including a trip to Magic Waters, a water park in Rockford, Illinois, and a walk to Fontana, Wisconsin, among others. While on the George Williams campus, they have the choice of participating in a wide variety of activities, including fishing, swimming, boating, soccer, softball, drama, games, audio-visual activities and much more.



  • Excursion
    The Excursion program provides a camp experience for campers between the ages of 13 through 16. These campers log many miles while traveling to places of interest in both Illinois and Wisconsin. They also participate in regular camp activities and are involved in evening programs. The Excursion program gives these teenage campers an opportunity to visit off-campus sites. Recent trips have included the Wisconsin Dells and Navy Pier in Chicago, along with other sightseeing destinations. The program also includes a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports, arts and crafts, and other traditional camping activities. Excursion is a one or two week program.

  • Campcraft
    Campcraft is a program for campers ages 13 to 16 that places a special emphasis on tent camping and outdoor living. Campers may attend one or two weeks. Limited to only 20 campers, Campcraft will help build basic camping skills, including outdoor cooking, campfire building and team building, while living in tents. Campcraft sets up camp in the woods surrounding the campus, which gives the sense of "the great outdoors" with all medical resources minutes away. For the entire two weeks of the program, participants live outdoor in tents. During the first week, campers get to experience and learn the ropes course, canoeing and other outdoor survival skills, in addition to camping. Our exciting and challenging program prepares them for a two- to four-day rock climbing or canoe trip in the second week. Campers participate in all camp activities and events, including cultural and entertainment activities, along with waterfront sports. Campcraft also hosts dinners for other camp groups at the campsite. The food is definitely the best in camp! Campcraft welcomes everyone, whether he or she is an expert camper or has never slept in a tent

  • Water Sports
    Water Sports is a one or two week program for campers ages 13 to 16. It is limited to 15 campers. This exciting program includes an intense one-week SCUBA training course leading to certification by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). This is a unique program because of its structured first week of SCUBA training. The program is directed towards accomplished swimmers who can swim 200 yards and tread water for ten minutes. Campers who pass the certification exam become eligible for future One Step At A Time Dive Trips. The training starts at camp and is concluded at Pearl Lake, a designated SCUBA diving site. The second week of Water Sports is far more relaxed. The campers participate in canoeing instruction and go on an overnight canoeing trip. Water Sports also includes water skiing, sailing and many other all-camp activities.

  • ACE
    The ACE (All-Camp Experience) program provides a unique camp experience for campers ages 13 to 16. This two-week program includes several "minicamps," each with its own instructor assisted by the ACE counselors. ACE campers can concentrate on specific sports or select from a set of non-athletic activities. The athletic minicamps provide training in various sports-related activities, including basketball, volleyball, tennis, soccer, golf, martial arts, bowling, archery and softball. Other minicamps provide training in magic, drama, arts and crafts, dance, fishing, horseback riding and canoeing. Most of the minicamps offered at ACE are included upon the suggestions of campers, counselors and volunteers, all coordinating to make ACE a memorable experience for the campers. Despite such a hectic training schedule, ACE campers have enough free time to enjoy the waterfront and other all-camp activities.
    Each minicamp is designed to accommodate any camper regardless of physical disabilities, interests, special needs and motivations. The minicamps are taught with an emphasis on self-development, not competition, so campers can enjoy new activities with friends who share similar circumstances. The ACE program will help campers achieve a high level of self-confidence, leading to a true sense of accomplishment.

  • EXCEL
    The EXCEL program provides a one or two week camp experience for young adults, ages 17 to 19, with emphasis on activities that promote life skills. EXCEL stands for Excellence and Challenge at Every Level. The EXCEL program provides experiences that help build self-confidence and provide leadership training through challenging activities such as team building, ropes course and an exciting out-of-camp event.

  • Seabees
    The Seabees program is a one week service recreational program for young adults, ages 20 and up, who had cancer as children. The focus of this program is personal growth through achievement and service in the camp.