Where is Aerie Experiences?
Aerie Experiences is based just north of Atlanta, Georgia and serves children and families from across the Southeast and the United States. Summer camp expeditions take place in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Social Adventure groups take place north of Atlanta at Chattahoochee River National Park. Teen Respite Weekends and Family Weekends take place in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. The day camp program take place in Johns Creek, Georgia.
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What types of clients does Aerie serve?
Most of Aerie’s programs are designed for children, families and individuals with special needs. However, our custom school groups, custom home school groups and custom organizational group programs are appropriate for all types of groups, schools, businesses and organizations. Read about our custom group programming.
What Types of Special Needs?
Aerie focuses on children, individuals and families navigating Aspergers, High Functioning Autism, Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Neurobiological Disorders and other special needs.
Socially and emotionally, children who come to Aerie programs are developing at a different pace than their peers. While they are smart and interesting, they may be a little quirky. They may not get invited to the neighborhood sleepovers or will often get picked last for group games and activities. Our programs are meant to instill a sense of fun, accomplishment and confidence in your children, and to provide:
- The opportunity to learn social skills that will help them get invited and reinvited to neighborhood activities.
- The means to discover their own individual strengths.
- The opportunity to meet developmental milestones and translate that success to their home, school and social environments.
Why Outdoor Programs?
As a child, Matthew Weneta found one place he excelled at being his best self: summer camp. When he first worked a summer camp for children with special needs, he saw campers experiencing the same growth, confidence and feelings of belonging that he himself experienced at camp. Matthew was struck by the idea that there should be programs that provide children with year-round opportunities to get into outdoors and to experience that sense of belonging, growth and exploration found at summer camp; programs where the use of “play” is intentional and prescriptive. And, who better to learn and grow in non-traditional settings than non-traditional learners?
What Does Aerie Mean?
Aerie is defined as the nest of an eagle, falcon or other large bird. A nest is a safe, nurturing place for people to grow, develop and eventually fly to their own independent lives. We have three expectations of the people who join our programs: Be safe, be honest, be present.
- Be Safe, physically and emotionally. If we are safe, together we can learn about and tend to your physical and emotional needs, and establish an environment that is a safe for growth.
- Be Honest, with ourselves and others. Being honest allows us to learn about our own strengths and the strengths of those around us. We can then develop insight into how we perceive and relate to the world around us.
- Be Present, in both body and mind. Being present allows us to live in the here and now, to be fully engaged in our experience, and allows for optimal experience and growth.