Talking With Technology Camp 2023

Children’s Hospital Colorado created this one-week program for children who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices as their main way of communicating.

Camp dates

July 16-21, 2023 for campers, siblings and Personal Care Attendants (PCA)
July 15-21, 2023 for trainers

Where

Easterseals Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Village Camp

2644 Alvarado Rd, Empire, CO 80438

The camp is near Empire, Colorado, just off I-70 west about 1 1/2 hours from Denver.

Information about camp

Talking With Technology (TWT) Camp will celebrate its 35th summer at Easterseals Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Village in Empire, Colorado.

Illness protocol (All illnesses including COVID-19)

We are eager and ready to return to camp. We want to make sure camp is safe for everyone and that we maintain a healthy community. We’ll be following guidelines provided by federal, state, and local agencies and may change our strategies based on local transmission and case rates. For more information, see Camps Keeping you Healthy.

Please note your camper(s) will be sent home if:

• Your child is experiencing symptoms, including: fever, cough, loss of taste/smell, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, chills, severe headache, fatigue, weakness, muscle pain, joint pain, rash, red eye, bruising, bleeding, throwing up, stomach pain, or loose, runny poop within the 24 hours before camp.
• Your child has been diagnosed with COVID-19, had a positive test in the 14 days prior to camp or is waiting for results.
• Your child has been in contact with someone who was confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19 in the last month.

COVID vaccines

• COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for campers and siblings.
• A COVID-19 booster is highly recommended for those eligible.

Masks

Adults, including Children’s staff and volunteers (includes “Trainers” and “PCAs”), Easterseals staff and volunteers will be required to wear a mask if unvaccinated.

Application, forms and due dates

This year, all applications will be completed online, and forms will be provided early for families to complete the necessary medical information.

Please send your forms to:

Children’s Hospital Colorado
ATTN: AAC Camps (TWT)
860 N Potomac Circle, Box 385
Aurora, CO 80011

Email:AACcamps@childrenscolorado.org
Fax: 720-478-7095

Campers

The application deadline is February 28.Please follow the link to fill out the application:

• Application
• Scottish Rite Scholarship Application
• Timelines & checklists for Campers & Siblings. Please print for future reference. 

The payment and forms below are due May 12, 2023.

• Photo Release Form
• Medical Form: Physical completed by child’s primary care physician (PCP)
• Medical Form: Seizure Action Plan
• Medical Form: Respiratory Action Plan
• Medical Form: Feeding Tube Protocol
• Medical Form: Immunization Records or Immunization Exemption
• Medical Form: Consent form for Over-The-Counter Medications

Siblings

Siblings are invited to attend camp as well. Sibling applications are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Due to COVID-19, campers and siblings will stay in the same cabin to maintain households. We’ll let you know if your camper’s siblings are accepted by April 14.

The application deadline is February 28. Please follow the link to fill out the application:

• Application
• Timelines and checklists for Campers & Siblings. Please print for future reference.
• No application fees.

The payment and forms below are due May 12, 2023.

• Photo Release Form
• Medical Form: Physical completed by PCP
• Medical Form: Consent form for Over-The-Counter Medications
• Medical Form: Immunization Records or Immunization Exemption

Adult trainers

The application deadline is February 28. Applications received after this date will only be looked at if there are available openings. Please follow the link to fill out the application:

• Application
• Timelines and checklists for adults. Please print for future reference.

Personal Care Attendant (PCA)

The deadline is February 28. Please follow the link to fill out the application:

• Application
• Timelines and checklists for adults. Please print for future reference.

Costs and funding options

All fees for Talking With Technology Camp must be received by May 12, 2023.

Scottish Rite Foundation & Rollie R. Kelly Family Foundation

Applicants will be notified by April 14 if financial assistance is available. If you are a Colorado resident, please apply here.

Camper fee: $2,739.00
($1,389.00 program fee + $1,350.00 camp fee)

The program fee covers activities using the speech-generating device at camp. The camp fee covers room, board, counselor support and camp activities.

Thanks to the Scottish Rite Foundation, campers from Colorado can receive financial assistance to pay for camper fees. All Colorado campers must fill out a Scottish Rite application and share the needed documents and proof of income unless they wish to pay the whole fee on their own.

No fees will be billed to insurance/Medicaid.

Children applying from out-of-state will need to pay the full camper fee. Check with your school district and other disability organizations to see if financial assistance is available.

Sibling fee: $990.00

This camp fee covers room, board, counselor support and activities for the camper’s sibling.

Thanks to the Rollie R. Kelley Family Foundation, Colorado families can receive scholarships to help pay for siblings to go to camp. Only one application is required per family.

Out-of-state siblings must pay the full sibling fee.

Adult trainer fees

All adults stay at camp in a cabin separate from the campers.

Trainer Fees: $655.00

The trainer fee covers room and board for trainers. It also covers all training material costs. Usually, 1-3 hours of university credit is available at an added fee of about $80/hour, to be paid at camp by check or credit card (no cash).

Personal Care Attendant (PCA): $150.00/per day

This camp fee covers room and board at camp. The PCA will stay in the cabin with the camper. No application fee is needed.

Payment options

• Cash in person (Contact AACcamps@childrenscolorado.org)
• Check: 
• Make checks payable to: Children's Hospital Colorado 
• Memo: Your child’s name or trainer’s name
• Mail to:
  Children’s Hospital Colorado
  ATTN: AAC Camps (TWT)
  860 N Potomac Circle, Box 385
  Aurora, CO 80011 
• Credit Card:
  • Please follow this link to complete the payment.
  • Please include the following information to make sure your payment is processed accurately: 
    • Invoice Number: 1003160
    • Customer Name: Applicant’s name and TWT camp application
    • Customer Number: (can be left blank)
    • Email Address: Insert your email address to receive payment confirmation

Talk to us

If you need more information or have questions about Talking With Technology Camp, please contact:

Children’s Hospital Colorado
ATTN: AAC Camps (Talking With Technology)
860 N Potomac Circle, Box 385
Aurora, CO 80011
Email: AACcamps@childrenscolorado.org
Fax: ATTN: AAC Camps 720-478-7095