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Adventure Skills Workshop

Camp Registration will OPEN Monday, March 17th, 2025, St. Patrick’s Day!

Shepherd Center's annual Adventure Skills Workshop (ASW) is a fun-filled spring weekend designed for people with spinal cord injury or disease, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, post-polio syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, transverse myelitis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Participants get hands-on practice in activities they have always loved and those they have always wanted to try.

Whether you are newly injured and attending for the first time or an Adventure Skills Workshop veteran coming back for more, be assured that you’ll have the opportunity to explore new activities, learn new skills, meet new people, and have fun. We believe you’ll leave with a new outlook on life – seeing every day as an adventure.

ASW is held every year in May at Camp ASCCA, an accessible facility on Lake Martin near Jackson’s Gap, Alabama, about two and a half hours from Atlanta. Participants receive directions and a detailed information packet. Housing is in air-conditioned group cabins with a limited number of private rooms. If you need assistance with self-care, transfers, mobility, following maps or directions, feeding, or anything else, you must bring a friend or family member.

Adventure Skill Workshop Video

Learn more about Shepherd Center's Adventure Skill Workshop from the Shepherd family and previous campers.

Featured Leisure Skill Instruction

Participation in some activities may be limited based on physical ability.

  • Water skiing
  • Climbing wall
  • Zipline
  • Water polo
  • Scuba diving
  • Tubing
  • Jet skiing
  • Mini golf
  • Swimming
  • Fishing
  • Riflery
  • Art
  • Kayaking
  • Skeet shooting
  • Basketball
  • Pickleball 

Important Registration Information for Camp ASW 2025

Camp ASW will be from Friday, May 16 - Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Please note that each participant must register for themselves. This means:

  • The main participant should complete the registration in their CompDoc account using their own email address—not the email address of a caregiver, relative, or friend.
  • After registering, accepted participants will receive an email from Shepherd Center with instructions on how their caregivers, relatives, or friends can register separately once accepted.
  • Accepted participants will be notified starting March 21, and this process will continue until the camp is at total capacity.
  • The registration deadline is Friday, April 18. Space is limited; registration may close before the deadline if spaces fill.

Why is this important?

This process ensures that each participant receives the information they need to fully register for the workshop. Caregivers, relatives, and friends will have their own separate registration process.

Thank you for helping us make the registration process smooth for everyone involved with Adventure Skills Workshop!

Cost

  • Participants: $225 - covers meals, lodging, activities, instruction, and a t-shirt.
  • Attendants/Caregivers: $200 - covers lodging, meals, and a t-shirt.
  • Limited financial assistance is available.

Participation Notes and Requirements

  • Caregivers/family members under the age of 18 are not allowed.
  • If you need any type of personal or mobility assistance, a caregiver or family member will be required. The camp is very large and has different types of terrain environments.
  • To participate in water activities, each participant must complete the swim test. The swim test consists of wearing a life jacket and completing the following:
    • Holding your breath for 20 seconds while face-down in the water
    • Rolling over from your stomach to your back
    • Floating on your back, with a lifejacket on, for one minute unassisted (only if you wish to swim unattended in the pool)

Additional Accommodations

If you would like accommodations other than the camp’s lodging, you can contact the following area hotels to make your reservations. Please note that no discount on the registration fee will be given if you choose to provide your accommodations outside of Camp ASCCA. Each hotel has limited accessible rooms, so please reserve your room before returning your registration form.

For more information, email Kelly Edens at kelly.edens@shepherd.org or call 404-350-7793.