Thank you so much for your support of Brainy Camps Association of Children's National Medical Center. Whether it’s helping a family in need, helping to build the new campsite, or donating in-kind gifts, your contribution will make a difference in the lives of the children who need it most.

The Brainy Camps Association, a subsidiary of Children's National Medical Center under the Division of Neurosciences, invites you to join the effort to support children to attend Brainy Camps for kids with chronic health conditions.

If you’ve ever met a child or young adult with a chronic health disorder, you know how the condition impacts the already difficult task of growing up, fitting in, and finding one’s place in life.

For more than 17 years, Brainy Camps has served children with chronis health conditions including epilepsy, neurofibromatosis, sickle cell anemia Tourette syndrome and Asperger's syndrome. In the more recent years, we have added camps for children who have pace makers, ICDs, arrhythmias and heart transplants, those with congenital heart disease, diabetes, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and those at risk for childhood obesity Brainy Camps provide a safe, supportive family environment where children and teens discover that they are not alone in this world.

Our camps have flourished. The number of campers has grown each year. The need to serve more families is clear. For every camper we serve and family we support and educate, there are thirty more who could benefit. We must take Brainy Camps to the next level and we need your help.

How to Get Involved

We rely heavily on the generosity of our loyal and compassionate supporters. We invite you to join the Brainy Camps family and help us provide this unforgettable experience to as many children as possible.

A few of the opportunities for parents to get involved as volunteers include contacting other parents to help with on-line forms, participating in fundraising events or organizing an event, helping to coordinate and/or provide transportation, assisting with pre-camp preparation, and reaching out to companies to secure donations and/or supplies. There may even be some opportunities during the week your child attends camp.

Please send an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , to discuss specific areas where you can help.

Help Send a Child or Teen to Camp

Brainy Camps provide life-changing experiences that are exciting and empowering. Our camps offer 7-day and 4-day sessions of summer fun and social connections. Campers participate and choose from activities including team sports, hiking, arts & crafts, pottery, canoeing, fishing, a challenge course, archery, camp Olympics, swimming, yoga, and drama. Support groups and educational programs promote knowledge, skill development and social connections.

At Brainy Camps, children and teens gain a better understanding of their condition, their strengths and their enormous self-worth.

Help Build a Better Campsite

We have moved to a new campsite in Harrisonburg, VA.  It is beautiful, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shenandoah Valley.  Beautiful, but in need of updating to make it possible for us to serve a more diverse medically compromised population.  We need to refurbish our medical suite and we need to build handicap-accessible cabins so our camp can serve additional conditions and more children.