Activity specialists play a dual role at Camp Akeela. They live alongside cabin counselors in camper bunks and have part-time responsibility for the well-being of those campers. Specifically, they help out in the bunk at morning clean-up, during rest hour, and in the evenings. In their other capacity, specialists teach or coach in their specific program area during four out of the five activity periods of each day (the fifth being a period off). Specialists are flexible, enthusiastic and well-organized people who can instruct both boys and girls of varying ages (9-18). Underlying every activity at Camp Akeela is a focus on supporting the social growth of our campers, all of whom struggle to connect with their peers. We encourage our specialists to apply their experience to designing their own lessons, but they also receive extensive training and ongoing guidance from program heads and key staff.