At Roger William Park Zoocamp, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, welcoming and accessible summer camp community. We recognize that every camper has unique abilities, needs and experiences, and we believe that every child’s differences should be celebrated and thoughtfully accommodated.

Roger Williams Park Zoo and ZooCamp strive to create an environment where all campers can participate, feel supported, and enjoy their camp experience. The safety and well-being of every camper, along with the resources and support available to our program, play an important role in determining how we can best accommodate and support individual needs throughout the summer. The following Accessibility and Inclusion FAQs are intended to provide clarity, set expectations, and promote a better understanding of the resources, accommodation, and support we are able to provide at RWPZ ZooCamp.

If you have questions or concerns at any point or would like to discuss strategies for supporting your camper at ZooCamp, please contact the ZooCamp Administrator at (401) 785-3510 x352.

At RWPZ ZooCamp, everyone is welcome and everyone belongs. At Roger Williams Park ZooCamp, we believe every child deserves to feel welcome, valued, and included. At our science-based camp, we recognize the value of biodiversity and understand that this applies not only to our ecosystems but to our communities as well.

To create a thriving ecosystem and camp environment, we strive to foster a welcoming, diverse, empathetic, and respectful camp community. At RWPZ ZooCamp, we celebrate the unique backgrounds, interests, identities, abilities, cultures, and experiences that make each camper who they are.

Zoocamp is a fun and engaging group experience where children can discover animals, explore the zoo, and build important social-emotional skills along the way. Through interactive activities and shared experiences, campers have opportunities to make new friends, practice teamwork,
and grow their confidence—all while having fun!

Unlike traditional day camps, Zoocamp does take place throughout the zoo and in shared public spaces. This unique setting allows campers to experience the excitement of the zoo while learning how to navigate and engage positively in a busy community environment.

To help your camper fully enjoy camp, they should be able to:

1. Follow Basic Instructions: Camp involves group activities and transitions. Being able to
   follow one or two step directions is essential.
2. Stay with Their Group: Camp groups will be traveling around the zoo to see different
   animals and their exhibits. For safety, campers should feel comfortable staying with their
   peers and counselors throughout the day.
3. Communicate their needs: All forms of communication are valid, and we want to make
   sure your camper is successful and has all of their needs met while at camp. Whether
   your camper communicates through gestures, assistive devices, speech, or another form
   of communication, we want to ensure they are able to communicate their needs to staff,
   such as needing a break, water, food, or a bathroom.
4. Use the bathroom independently: A child is required to be able to use the bathroom
   without adult assistance. This includes recognizing when they need to use the bathroom,
   underdressing/dressing as necessary, wiping, flushing the toilet and washing their hands.

RWPZ Zoo Camp offers a variety of supports to help create an inclusive, structured and
accepting environments for all campers. Zoo Camp has an on-site inclusion specialist who
serves as a liaison between families and camp staff to ensure that appropriate accommodation
for campers is being provided. Some accommodation provided at zoo camp are:

– Pre-camp phone call meetings: We have found our campers and staff benefit from
proactive planning. To ensure all campers are successful at camp we offer phone call
meetings to discuss how we can support your camper while at zoo camp
– Camp Brain information: During registration we have designated a space for you to tell
us any information that would be beneficial for us to help your camper succeed. This may
include Allergies, accessibility concerns, emotional conditions or any other special needs.
Detailed IEP or Behavior plans used with in your child’s school can often be helpful!
– Pre-Zoo Camp Introduction Night: We offer an orientation night for our first time
attendees to ZooCamp and for our neurodiverse campers! Come check out what a day in
ZooCamp looks like to ensure your camper feels prepared and comfortable with the camp
environment!
– ZooCamp Social Stories: ZooCamp provides social stories to help our neurodivergent
learners feel prepared for what camp looks like.
– Flexible curriculum: designed for differentiation and camper choice.
– All staff/counselors are trained in behavior management and inclusive strategies.
– Peace Corner/Quiet spaces: There are spaces designated to break spaces in each
classroom to allow for proper regulation.
– ZooCamp All Star Charts: The awarding of stars for making good choices. Stars are
posted on wall charts as visual reinforcement of positive behavior. Campers are encouraged to give each other stars as well as counselors.
– Variety of sensory tools are available: Weight lap pad, wiggle seats, noise cancelling headphones, fidgets.
– Aids/ Support staff are welcome at camp! If your child normally has a support person/aid
at home or in school, we ask that you send them to zoo camp with the same support.

While RWPZ is not able to provide 1:1 aide your camper, we highly encourage your camper to
be accompanied by their support person/aid if they have one. 1:1 aide’s are required to be nonfamily
members and have a Rhode Island BCI that is not older than three months from the date
of submission. Zoocamp requires the BCI check of individuals three week’s prior to the
designated date of camp. Requests to bring 1:1 aides into RWPZS’ ZooCamp and the Education
Programs will be reviewed by RIZS. Any third-party aide approved by the RIZS to be on RIZS
grounds must be screened and, as applicable, may need additional training to ensure RISZ abides
by all its obligations to other program participants.

1. To help your child feel prepared to attend Zoo camp we encourage you to talk about camp in advance. Review our camp social stories and sample daily schedule?
2. Schedule a pre-camp phone call meeting. We encourage open communication between camp staff and guardians of our campers to ensure they are successful. Schedule a phone call with an admin staff and let us know of any areas of concern, triggers or strategies that work best for your camper.
3. If you are available attend our pre-camp introduction night. This night is offered to any families with neurodivergent learners, first time campers or anyone that would benefit from a camp refresher!

Zoo camp offers unique, hands-on opportunities for campers to connect with wildlife and wild places. Here at the zoo campers play, learn and explore together all around the zoo.

Roger William Park Zoo is large, open, and a public space that is different than an enclosed school or home. Zoo Camp offers great amounts of outdoor learning opportunities, but we recognize that for some campers it poses real challenges. Unlike a child’s home or school, the zoo in the summertime is an unfamiliar place that has varying smells, noises, temperatures and light. The zoo is full of non-camp guests, and our play spaces are partially shared with the public.

To ensure safety, all campers’ staff are trained in many procedures to ensure campers stay with the group and maintain certain adult staff-to-child ratios. As Zoo camp does occur in a busy space we do like and proactively address the importance of campers being able to stay with the group and follow directions.

Any medication that is to be administered to a camper – including in an emergency (i.e. epinephrine, inhalers, etc.) – must be given to the zoo Nurse at check-in on Monday in a prescription bottle with the following information clearly displayed: child’s name, name of medication, and specific directions for administering medication. A “Medication Permission Slip” must also be completed at that time.