Vanderbilt University may be quiet during the summer months, but the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (VKC) was humming with activity in June as three VKC-sponsored summer camps were running concurrently, each offering unique camp experiences for campers with disabilities. Learn more about each of the camps below.
ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp
The VKC and the Academy of Country Music’s philanthropic arm ACM Lifting Lives welcomed 31 campers ages 18 to 59 with Williams syndrome (WS) for 2023 ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp, which took place June 14-20.
Each summer, adults with WS celebrate music by participating in a songwriting workshop, recording session, songwriter’s night, and a live performance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, joined by ACM country artists throughout the week. This year, Music Campers got to sing karaoke with the ladies of Tigirlily Gold at Winners Bar & Grill, chat with “Nashville” star Charles Esten at Seacrest Studios, have a pizza party with Tiera Kennedy and the ACM staff, line dance with Madeline Merlo at the Wildhorse Saloon, and listen to Frank Ray perform at the Bluebird Café. Campers worked with frequent Music Camp songwriter Ross Copperman and the band Restless Road to write an original song, “Wrap Me Up,” and they closed out 2023 Music Camp by performing their song on the Grand Ole Opry stage to a full house alongside Lauren Alaina.
As a special treat this year, the VKC hosted the Nashville film premiere of the documentary “Truelove: The Film,” which follows social media personality and WS self-advocate Callie Truelove and her family on a journey across the U.S. meeting families touched by Williams syndrome. The Truelove family even attended the premiere for a Q&A session with the audience.
Amid all the Music Camp fun, campers are invited to take part in voluntary research activities so VKC researchers can learn more about WS. Williams syndrome is a rare genetic condition associated with an unusual pattern of strengths and weaknesses in linguistic and cognitive profiles, as well as intellectual disability. A common attribute in individuals with WS is an affinity for music, which makes the Music Camp experience so memorable for everyone involved.
“ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp is so special to our campers who gain new independence skills while making music with their newfound friends for a week in Music City,” said Music Camp research director Elizabeth Roof, M.A. “The research this year focused on how people with William syndrome view themselves outside of having Williams syndrome and the strengths that make them unique individuals with a love of music.”
Pictured top of page: ACM Lifting Lives Music Campers. View camp slideshow here.
SENSE Theatre® Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Summer Camp
Another summer camp opportunity made possible by partnership with ACM Lifting Lives is the SENSE Theatre® Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives Summer Camp for young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twelve participants with autism and 12 trained typically developing peers participated in the day camp from June 12-24, with public performances of the original play “Circus del Se” on June 23 and 24.
SENSE Theatre® is a unique intervention research program for youth with ASD, developed by Blythe Corbett, Ph.D., VKC researcher and professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Psychology.
The camp participants engaged in theatre games, developing characters for the play, learning new songs and choreography, and rehearsing “Circus del Se” ahead of their public performances. Campers also had special visits from ACM artists, including “American Idol” runner-up Caleb Hutchinson, “The Voice” Season 22 winners Girl Named Tom, and award-winning singer/songwriter Ross Copperman.
“The SENSE Theatre® intervention research program is interested in the impact of SENSE Theatre® on several areas of social competence. The primary elements of SENSE Theatre® are peers, play, and performance,” said Corbett. “Thus, we collect information before and after the camp pertaining to areas of social motivation, interaction, and communication.
“The hope is that children with autism spectrum disorder will demonstrate an increase in different areas of social competence through the support of trained typically developing peers, engaging in theatre activities, and performing the musical play,” she added.
SENSE Theatre® Academy of Country Music Lifting Lives campers
Next Steps at Vanderbilt Summer Institute
The 2023 Next Steps Summer Institute (NSSI) took place June 12-16 on Vanderbilt’s campus. NSSI is designed to give incoming Next Steps at Vanderbilt students an introductory college experience before the semester officially kicks off across the university. For some, NSSI might be the first time they sleep in a dorm or navigate a large college campus. Campers also get to meet their classmates with whom they’ll share the next four years of memories.
Next Steps at Vanderbilt is a four-year inclusive higher education (IHE) program committed to providing neurodiverse students an inclusive, transformational postsecondary education in academics, social and career development, and independent living, while honoring equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors. Next Steps is one of multiple IHE programs within the state and serves alongside each of them as a member of the Tennessee Inclusive Higher Education Alliance.
This year, NSSI campers stayed in Vanderbilt’s Mayfield Lodges and participated in college orientation and campus engagement activities. The week included introductions to 17 campus partners, with workshops led by Vanderbilt faculty and lessons from campus entities including the Student Center for Wellbeing, Student Access Services, Student Care Coordination, and Career Services.
In the evenings, students took part in social and recreational activities with Sarratt Art Studio, Vanderbilt Theatre, the Vanderbilt Recreation Center, and members of the Ambassa’Dores, Next Steps’ peer mentor organization. The week culminated with student-led presentations about the Vanderbilt campus and its student service offerings. A special highlight from camp this year was having NSSI camper Jasmyn teaching her new cohort American Sign Language over the course of the week!
“We were so excited to see incoming students grow, learn and thrive on campus for NSSI and are looking forward to the class of 2027 joining us this fall,” said Ariana Amaya, OTD, OTR/L, Next Steps director.
NSSI campers
