Programs

Life Turns founders Max Mancini and Jen Schumacher have found the outdoors to be incredibly healing emotionally, as well as empowering. They believe that children living with medical challenges should have the opportunity to grow and learn in a nourishing outdoor environment where they can build confidence and discover the strength they have in themselves and a lasting support network in their peers. Spending a week away from their normal routine gives the campers a chance to take care of themselves and learn new life skills. The kids can learn to be independent and take care of their belongings and themselves, but at the same time the camp brings the kids together and teaches them to trust their friends in a place so far from their comfort zone. They discover so many things about themselves as they grow more confident in their own abilities, both physically and in their capacity to help their peers.

Winter Camp

Life Turns winter camp is a week of fun outdoor adventure! The kids and councilors stay in a large house together where everyone cooks, cleans, plays games and participates in team building fun.
During the first few days we dog sled, snowshoe and sled to get acclimatized. Then we spend 3 days on the mountain, skiing or snowboarding. Life Turns works with Adaptive programs in order to give children with a wide range of medical challenges the chance to learn to ski.
This camp is a wonderful opportunity for kids to make new friends while experiencing new adventures in the outdoors.

Summer Camp

Life Turns summer camp is a week long adventure in camping. We start in Aspen Colorado where we camp and learn Leave No Trace skills. The kids horse back ride at Sopris Therapy is Carbondale Colorado, and then we drive to the desert where we embark on an overnight river trip on the Colorado River. The campers will learn how to read rivers and get to ride on rafts and paddle duckys.
This camp is incredibly empowering for the campers because for many of them, this is their first experience sleeping and cooking in the outdoors.