MDA Summer Camp

MDA Summer Camp is a one-week program where kids and young adults with neuromuscular disease attend overnight camps around the U.S. at no cost to their families. Both in-person and virtual sessions are available each summer, and campers can participate in one camp session each year, selecting the session that best meets their interest and needs. Each camp includes dedicated volunteer health professionals and trained camp volunteers who meet every child’s medical and physical needs, with volunteer counselors by campers’ sides day and night and Medical Team members administering medications and delivering first aid.

• Ages: 8–17 years old
• Schedule: One-week sessions each summer
• Price: provided at no cost to families

Camp is available to kids and young adults, ages 8–17, who have been diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease. Every camper finds a place to belong in a community rooted in inclusion, friendship, and fun, and MDA strives for every camp session to provide a true camp experience, including connecting with the outdoors, developing life skills, building lifelong friendships, and providing opportunities to try new things. Kids and young adults with neuromuscular disease grow in confidence as they take on new adventures, make lifelong friends, learn to self-advocate, and discover just how much they can do.

The volunteer team assumes all camper care, including physical and emotional support, providing parents with the opportunity for respite. Medical Team members are licensed health professionals, and volunteering at camp allows each volunteer to gain field-based experience in physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical professions, education, recreation, and family social sciences, as well as earning volunteer hours.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association’s mission is to empower the people it serves to live longer, more independent lives. Since 1950, MDA has led the field in research, care, and advocacy for people living with neuromuscular diseases. The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, and the organization’s President and CEO is Sharon Hesterlee, PhD.

Camper parents describe MDA Summer Camp as a place where their children feel joy and a sense of belonging, where adaptations and modifications are made so campers can do things their peers do, and where campers gain confidence, self-reliance, and self-advocacy skills. Parents report seeing their children blossom into strong and confident young adults and express appreciation for MDA, volunteers, and sponsors for the camp experience.

Last updated May 14, 2026.