For many kids, summer camp is a chance to play sports, explore hobbies, and hang out with friends. But for kids who stutter, the Sioris Family University of Minnesota Kids Who Stutter Camp isn’t just a typical day camp—it's a chance to build confidence, community, and family.
The camp takes place primarily outside and at other fun locations, often at iconic University of Minnesota Twin Cities sites or in partnership with local organizations. In previous years, campers have toured Huntington Bank Stadium, crafted in the Walter Library Toaster Makerspace, and explored the Minnesota Robotics Institute.
“Summer camp played a pivotal role in my own childhood development, and I wanted to combine that with the special considerations that come with being a kid who stutters,” says Erin Bodner, camp cofounder and director.
Bodner says camp experiences let campers combine real-world communication skills with summer fun. “They’re not on their phones, not on social media. It’s an opportunity for them to be present.”
Bodner, who stutters, says it is very affirming for the campers to be in an environment where people who stutter are in the majority. “Camp leadership and volunteers are all people who stutter, and they’re incredible role models.”
For instance, the camp hosts a “Team Mentor Day,” where camp alumni return to lead group activities and discuss challenges they have faced, such as dealing with bullying and teasing. Team mentors also hold a panel discussion with campers’ parents and caregivers.
Bodner says it’s important to parents and their children to learn more about the stuttering experience from those who have been through it themselves. “We aim to help our campers build confidence in their communication skills and to help them recognize the importance of their voices,” she says.
New camp structure: ‘Keep Rowing’
In the last several years, the camp curriculum, timing, and ages served (5th to 9th grade) have been updated to better suit the needs of campers.
The camp also adopted a new motto, an adaptation of Minnesota Golden Gophers football coach PJ Fleck’s “Row the Boat.”
“No matter life’s weather,” the camp's motto states, “it’s your choice to keep rowing!”
Not only does this motto play into camp activities, but it encourages the kids to take risks, be team players, and self-advocate.
Bodner has also extended the end-of-camp reception and discussion panels for parents, caregivers, and community members. She says these receptions are key to helping others understand the challenges that come from being a kid who stutters, and they’re a great opportunity for the campers to do public speaking in front of a larger audience.
Bodner recalls a camper asking to give a speech in front of the entire reception. “Their parents hadn't ever seen their child talk in front of such a large group. It was really, really moving for them to see that,” she says.
Rebecca Lulai, the director of clinical programs in speech-language pathology who oversees the camps as part of her role at the University of Minnesota’s Julia M. Davis Speech-Language-Hearing Center, recalls the poignant moment. “There [wasn’t] a dry eye in the room.”
Bodner cofounded the camp in 2009 as a graduate student in speech-language pathology. She’s now a clinical supervisor with the Davis Center.
Beyond the camps, the Davis Center works to serve students, alumni, and adults from the Minneapolis community. According to Lulai, the Davis Center has a dual mission: building foundational skills in graduate students through hands-on learning, and supporting the communication needs of the community.
Bodner and Lulai both hope to continue to broaden the scope of the camps and the Davis Center. “We’ve been toying with some ideas of expanding to have it be more than one week, or doing some minicamp things during the school year,” says Lulai.
In the meantime, the Sioris Family University of Minnesota Kids Who Stutter Camp is proof that people need not be defined by their differences, but can be united through them.
This story was adapted from the original at the College of Liberal Arts
Make a gift to support kids who want to attend the camp
- Categories:
- Arts and Humanities
- Health conditions
