Oklahoma School for the Deaf Hosts Summer Camps
SULPHUR, Okla. — Reading may be fundamental but so is a fun time at summer camp. That is why the Oklahoma School for the Deaf (OSD) combined the two into one. With a focus on improving reading skills for campers, OSD’s academic camp will also include an over abundance of silliness and fun.
OSD will host two summer camps, one for high school students and one for elementary students. The goals of each camp is to help all campers maintain or improve their reading skills during the summer months and to provide a safe environment for the deaf or hard of hearing students to meet and develop new friendships with kids who have similar backgrounds.
“Whether you are deaf or hearing, reading is a valuable tool that will assist you in every aspect of your life. That is why it is so important,” Brent Behrens, OSD camp director, said “With this camp, we want to help students to improve on their reading skills while having fun. It is summer after all.”
From June 20 through June 25, students ages 12 to 17 will attend reading classes, participate in art, experience drama and play social games. They will also take off-campus trips such as playing at Lazer Zone Family Fun Center in Ada.
A special activity includes a visit to the Rotary Club Summer Leadership Teenager Camp. The Rotary Club campers will join the OSD campers for leadership-based activities and fun.
“This visit is an outstanding activity that exposes hearing young people to those who are deaf or hard of hearing – it teaches impressionable teenagers about diversity and tolerance,” Behrens said. “Plus, they’re all kids. Kids love to meet other kids – it’s a fun day.”
Elementary age students, 6 to 11, will have an opportunity to attend summer camp from June 27 through 30. These boys and girls will attend classes to improve their reading skills, learn social skills through fun activities, swim and play on campus and go on a field trip to Arbuckle Wilderness where they will enjoy a safari ride and feed the animals.
This summer’s camps are expected to be a huge success with more than 60 scheduled to attend the high school camp and more than 20 for the elementary camp.
The school is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS), a state agency which assists Oklahomans with disabilities through vocational rehabilitation, education, employment, independent living programs and the determination of medical eligibility for disability benefits.
OSD has been located in Sulphur since 1908. OSD provides residential and day school educational services at no charge for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. The school provides a range of outreach programs, including pre-school programs and onsite consultation for public school students, their families, public school districts and communities statewide.