Located in Mission, BC, on 44 acres of pristine forested land on Stave Lake, Zajac Ranch for Children welcomes children and young adults with a variety of medical diagnoses from across BC and Canada. In a study from the University of Waterloo, researchers confirmed the benefits of participating in camp programs, identifying positive outcomes that showed improvements in five key areas of personal growth:
- Social integration and citizenship
- Attitudes towards physical activity
- Self-confidenc and personal development
- Environmental awareness
- Emotional intelligence
All children deserve the opportunity to participate in a camp experience that is both supportive and accepting. For many children with special medical needs, the care they require is often too great to allow them to attend a traditional camp. Facilities at Zajac Ranch are fully accessible by children of all abilities. Full accessibility does not just mean a section for wheelchairs in the amphitheatre – it means the entire seating area is accessible so campers can sit among their friends anywhere in the audience. It means specially designed Action Track chairs give campers with mobility challenges the opportunity to go hiking through the woodland terrain with their peers. It means campers can receive the daily medical care they require – whether that means receiving medications or spending time in a special Snoezelen sensory room – at our 24 hour on site medical centre, The OK Corral, which is staffed by highly qualified volunteer doctors and nurses.
