“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.” Helen Keller
Welcome to Partners In Adventure
Partners In Adventure is located in Chittenden County, Vermont. Since 1999, Partners In Adventure (PIA) has provided year-round programs and camp experiences for young people of all abilities. We are the only program in Vermont that offers fully accessible, adaptive, and inclusive opportunities in community settings. We seek to partner people who are non-disabled with others who are developmentally, physically, and mentally challenged.
PIA’s Amazing Summer Camp Staff
Our summer camp is led by amazing young people, most of whom are pursuing careers in affiliated fields of education and therapy. These faces should be familiar to participants of the last few years’ summer camp and other “adventures throughout this past year. This group is extraordinary!
Happy Summer Days Everyone!
My friend Ginny shared this list with me, and she wanted to share it with our PIA families!!
I hope you are able to hit the water to cool off at any of these beautiful, accessible beaches this summer!
Enjoy,
Joan 😊
There are a number of beach wheelchairs available across the state:
| Alburgh Dunes State Park | Alburgh |
| Branbury State Park | Salisbury |
| Bomoseen State Park | Castleton |
| Brighton State Park | Island Pond |
| Camp Plymouth | Ludlow |
| Crystal Lake State Park | Barton |
| Emerald Lake State Park | Dorset |
| Lake Shaftsbury State Park | Shaftsbury |
| Lake St. Catherine State Park | Poultney |
| Sand Bar State Park | Milton |
| Silver Lake State Park | Barnard |
| Waterbury Center State Park | Waterbury Center |
Call the individual park in advance to reserve (or you can drop in and ask).
These chairs not only wheel you across the beach, but they’re also buoyant in the water. And they are made possible, in part, by the generosity of people like you!
So Proud to be a Vermonter!
As part of our PIA Winter Camp 2026, Partners In Adventure traveled to Montpelier, February 18th, braving the cold and snow to visit the amazing and delicious Morse Farm! We were also guests at the state house!
What a terrific time tasting Vermont‘s own treasure, “Sugar on Snow” the old-fashioned way!
And…meeting the Lieutenant Governor, John Rodgers, and other state representatives! So cool!
The Power of Play
When we think of “Play,” we think of young children engaged in all sorts of fun activities. It is important to realize, though, that play is an important benefit not just for young children but also for teens and adults, continuing to provide many of the same benefits as we grow older.
Play is a significant force that enables engagement with the world and with the people you are associated with.
Here are some of the benefits of “play”.
- Play enables the participant to practice and reinforce the development of critical thinking skills associated with cognitive, physical, language, and social emotional development.
- Learn autonomy and risk-taking: making personal decisions and choices, and developing an understanding of the relationship between choice and consequence. The spontaneity of play promotes healthy risk-taking and develops resilience.
- Gaining self-control through opportunities to regulate feelings, negotiate with others, and use critical executive functioning skills.
- Engaging in the world, testing out new ideas.
- Practice mindfulness, becoming fully present in the moment, feeling safe and secure.
- Nurturing relationships, learning how to interact and share, and gaining a greater sense of self.
- Feeling the joy and happiness of play! Play is a natural stress-reliever, reducing anxiety and fear.
Partners In Adventure strives to provide a wide variety of experiences for young people and adults to experience all that “play“ has to offer through a variety of mediums.
