 |
|
"I wanted to let you know how impressed I was with all of your staff. Billy loved all of
the counselors and instructors. I was struck by the strong relationships that all of them had developed with
our son over such a short amount of time." |
|
|
|
  
Camp Akeela Directors | Our Staff
Eric Sasson has 30 years of camp experience, at some of the Northeast's finest camps, including Camp Walt Whitman,
Camp Wingate*Kirkland and Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. He has been a full time camp professional for 15 years and is an active member
of the American Camp Association. Eric earned a BA in Math from Haverford College and a Masters in Education from Harvard University.
Outside of the camp world, he has extensive experience working with children and young adults in a variety of settings.
Debbie Sasson has been spending her summers at camp for more than 25 years. She has a BA in Psychology and a Masters in School
Counseling from University of Rochester. After 3 wonderful years as a middle school counselor in Belmont, MA, she returned to school
and earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University in May. Her work in the field has primarily focused
on individual counseling for children, adolescents and families.
Debbie and Eric met at a summer camp and have been partners in camping ever since. They have each held virtually every job available
at camp, from bunk counselor and swim instructor to unit head and camp director. Throughout their careers, Debbie and Eric have always
found themselves gravitating towards the "quirky" kids. Opening Akeela enabled them to create an empowering community for boys and girls
who thrive in traditional camp setting with a little extra social support.
back to top
The Akeela Staff
Camp Akeela is proud to boast more than 3 adults for every 4 campers and an in-bunk ratio of 1:2 (4 counselors with 6 to 8 campers).
More essential than the number of staff is the quality of personnel that we employ. At Akeela, every camper benefits from the care, spirit and skills of each staff member. We undertake extraordinary lengths to find the best of the best, to ensure that campers have the safest, most fun and most transformative experience possible.
Each of our staff members has chosen to join Akeela because they are excited about living, playing, laughing and learning in our camp community. They approach each summer with the energy, dedication and sense of humor that make it evident how much they enjoy and truly "get" Akeela campers!
This incredible group of people includes experts in the fields of child development, psychology, special education, therapeutic interventions, and health care. All of this combined expertise helps ensure that every Akeela camper receives the individualized care and attention that he or she requires to have a successful summer.
Senior Staff
Our senior staff is composed of highly trained and experienced professionals in the fields of psychology, special education and social work, as well as physical, speech and occupational therapists. These "go-to" people train and provide on-going support to our counselors and activity specialists. They also work directly with campers as part of our regular program and on an as-needed basis.
Here's a little more information about just a few of these wonderful professionals:
Jaynie Goodbody, Assistant Director and Head Counselor
Jaynie lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and works year-round as Akeela's assistant
director. She is responsible for finding and hiring the amazing counselors who make
up our summer staff. Jaynie also helps with camper recruitment, program planning, staff
training, communication with camp families, and everything else that goes into making
Akeela run smoothly.
Jaynie is originally from Wendell, Idaho. She is a graduate of Stanford University with degrees in Psychology
and Political Science. At Stanford, she was a captain and All-American hammer thrower on the Track and Field team.
In her spare time, Jaynie enjoys being with her amazing family, including her four year old nephew and one year old niece.
Favorite Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Place I'd Like To Visit: Ireland
Favorite Camp Food: Grilled Cheese
Rob Glyn-Jones, Head Counselor
Rob lives in the north of England, although for the last fifteen years he has spent his summers
in the US working at camps. Rob started his camp career in 1996 as a counselor at Summit Camp in
Pennsylvania. He rose through the ranks at Summit and for eight years was a Unit Leader there, working
with boys aged between fourteen and eighteen. In 2010 he joined Camp Akeela as a Head Counselor and had an
immediate and profound impact on the Akeela campers and staff. He has always been drawn to working with children and
believes that camp is a fantastic environment for encouraging growth and development - as well as having a great time!
During the rest of the year, Rob works as an actor and workshop leader. A lot of this work takes
him into schools and colleges to facilitate issue-based presentations on a wide variety of topics
such as anti-social behavior, bullying, community cohesion and drug issues. In his spare time he
enjoys cooking, reading, swimming and watching Doctor Who!
Favorite Book: The Box of Delights by John Masefield
Place I'd Like To Visit: Nepal and Tibet
Favorite Camp Food: Hot Dogs
back to top
About Akeela |
Join Our Staff |
Current Families |
Older Teen Program
Family Camp |
Read Our Blog |
Apply Now |
Contact Us |
Home
|
|
|
|
