Camp Abilities NJ @ Rowan University

Camp Abilities NJ @ Rowan is an evidence-based educational sports camp for children ages 6-17 who have visual impairments. The goals of CANJRU are to:

• Empower young people with visual impairments to be physically active;

• Improve participants' overall health and wellness, both at camp and through their lifespan;

• Encourage participants to make food choices that support an active lifestyle; 

• Develop independence, confidence, and self-esteem through sport and physical activity.

At camp, children participate in a variety of sports and activities including canoeing, rock climbing, and making a healthy meal. Athletes are paired 1:1 with trained coaches throughout all activities. This project has been funded in part by a grant from New Jersey Health Foundation.

A secondary goal of CANJRU is to train pre-service and in-service health educators, physical educators, dietitians, athletic trainers, and special educators how to support children with visual impairments during physical activity. CANJRU is run through the Rowan Health & PE program in partnership with the department of Health & Exercise Science.