The building block, 07-09/2012, v.6 no.3

              An e-newsletter of the J. D. McCarty Center for children with developmental disabilities
Volume VI, Issue 3
July - September
2012
Stanek named director of Camp ClapHans
Summer camp for kids with special needs to open June 2013
Megan Stanek believes
summer camp offers children the
chance to build confi dence and
camaraderie and to unwind, un-plug
and undertake a new chal-lenge.
“It gives them the chance
to have a good foundation of
believing in themselves,” said
Stanek, an outdoor educator.
Now she is leading a
camp that will offer these experi-ences
to children with special
needs.
Stanek is the new director
of Camp ClapHans, a residential
summer camp for kids with dis-abilities
that opens in June 2013.
The camp is an outreach project
of the J. D. McCarty Center and
is being built on the hospital’s
campus in Norman at 2002 E.
Robinson Street.
Stanek started the position
in April and said she is thrilled
about the opportunities and po-tential
of the camp. She believes
Camp ClapHans will offer kids
a place to meet other children
with similar disabilities, develop
friendships and gain self-esteem.
“Being able to be a part of
Megan Stanek is the new director of Camp ClapHans, a residential summer camp for kids with disabilities
that opens in June 2013. The camp will feature two cabins and an activities building (pictured). The buildings
are located next to an 11-acre lake.
such an amazing organization and
building an entirely new program is
incredibly exciting,” she said. “I feel
blessed to be a part of this adven-ture.”
Stanek’s professional back-ground
includes serving as an
outdoor education director and
instructor, as well as experience in
managing budgets, developing cur-riculum,
managing staff and creating
partnerships with community groups.
Vicki Kuestersteffen, director
and CEO of the McCarty Center,
said she was impressed with
Stanek’s background and her
excitement about outdoor educa-tion.
“I knew Megan was the
Camp ClapHans director the mo-ment
she walked in for the inter-view,”
Kuestersteffen said. “She
brings a wealth of experience
with her, the passion to work with
kids with special needs and she
believes in what we are creating
with Camp ClapHans.”
See Camp Director Stanek on page 2