Alec Cunningham

Camp ALEC was inspired by Alec Cunningham, who never gave up and whose passion for learning was never extinguished.  Due to Alec’s complex communication and physical needs, we often heard how challenging it was to teach him.  Throughout the course of his education, we continually heard, “we don’t know what he knows.”  Eventually, it felt as though the blame fell on Alec because he was “too difficult to teach.”

When Alec passed away unexpectedly in 2011, our dear friend, Tina Moreno, helped to make our idea of a camp for kids like Alec a reality.  We always wanted Alec to receive the education he deserved.  Now, we’ve directed our passion toward educating as many teachers as possible so that they possess the tools to empower children like Alec with language and literacy. Under the direction of Drs. Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver we are committed to providing children with evidence-based assessments and interventions that will ensure they make gains in reading and writing in their classrooms. This camp was an act of love for Tina.  Tina volunteered her time to make this camp a success until she stepped away in 2024 for personal reasons. Gina and her husband Tom continue to volunteer their time in honor of Alec, and the children camp is intended for.

Realizing a Dream

Camp ALEC began in 2014.   This unique camp is specifically designed for children with physical disabilities whose primary communication mode is AAC (augmentative and alternative communication).  Camp ALEC is a week of learning together with adult educators and campers under the direction of Dr. Karen Erickson and Dr. David Koppenhaver.  Campers spend 3 hours daily in literacy activities in a 1:1 setting.  The rest of the day campers enjoy a typical camp experience which can include rock wall climbing, swimming, talent shows, camp songs, campfires…..while campers are enjoying camp experiences, the adult educators are in the classroom receiving further training in a Level 2 Literacy Academy with Dr. Erickson and Dr. Koppenhaver.  At the conclusion of camp, families receive informal descriptive reports detailing the results of literacy assessments and trialed interventions to share with their educational teams back home.  Educators will leave with a deep understanding of literacy instruction for complex children which they can share with their colleagues.

Camp ALEC moved to Rocky Mountain Village in Empire, CO in 2024.

Favorite Camp Memories

Two Gems:
"3 young campers are playing a written guessing game.  The first clue is written down: ‘He laughs a lot.’  They guess ‘Dave.’ Wrong.  The second clue: ‘He’s fat.’ They guess ‘Dave’ again.  Wrong.  The third clue is written down: ‘He has a beard.’  They guess ‘Dave.’  Wrong.  All these things are true.  The 4th and 5th clues are: ‘He’s fat, wears red’ and ‘He only comes around once a year.’ I was wearing a red t-shirt that day.  The desired answer was Santa Claus, but I fit every clue.

Another one:
There was a partially deflated volleyball in the literacy cabin several years ago.  I printed a picture of James’s face, taped it to the volleyball, put the volleyball in my Ohio State hoodie, put the hoodie around a stool, and put the stool in James’s group’s area.  James clearly noticed it, but unexpectedly said nothing about it all day.  That night I found the same volleyball with James’s face taped to it, wearing a Michigan sweatshirt, and lying in my bed with a ‘This is Just to Say’ poem, a form the kids’ in some groups had learned that day.  It read something like ‘This is just to say/I have decided to sleep/in your bed tonight. It is so comfortable. You’ll have to find/somewhere else to sleep. By the way/it’s supposed to rain.”

Educator

Dr. Sofia Benson-Goldberg

Dr. Benson-Goldberg is an assistant professor in the Communication Disorders and Sciences program at the University of Oregon in the College of Education. Sofia received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she worked at the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Erickson. Sofia is passionate about improving access to reading and writing instruction for all individuals.

Her website: https://education.uoregon.edu/directory/cds/all/sofiabg

Favorite Camp Memory

Inspiration Buffet:
"While seeing Dave pied in the face during our birthday shenanigans is HIGH, probably my favorite is when I came late in 2023 after having COVID and I walk in the door and James was stuck in the corner of the cafeteria charging his wheelchair. He starts frantically waving me over to tell me he didn’t know I was coming, was excited to see me, and oh by the way did I know he was going to college that year? Then I start to walk to my cabin and I run into Cole who stops me to excitedly greet me as well and exclaim that he just finished his first year in college! How cool to have teenage boys (a) excited to see you and (b) have the first thing they want to share have to do with being enrolled in college. Especially after watching their progress all these years, that was a really gratifying moment.”

Favorite Camp Memory

Watching the Campers Shine:
"My favorite memory of camp is the talent show.  Watching the kids up on a real stage, doing a talent of their choice, or one they worked on with their camp counselor is just magical.  Watching their faces beam as the audience of campers, literacy counselors and camp counselors cheer them on is just priceless.  It has become a wonderful camp tradition.”