Week 1, Middle School. Starkloff Disability Institute Dream Big Career Exploration Camp. Make friends, discover disability history, build leadership skills, meet role models.

Dream Big Camp Week 1 – Middle School

Unlock a summer of possibilities for your student with disabilities! During Dream Big Career Camp, students explore the possible career paths at top, inclusive companies in St. Louis through visits and hands-on activities, all paired with our “Adulting with a Disability” curriculum.

Dream Big prepares transition-aged youth to be successful, independent adults with disabilities. Our students learn having a disability doesn’t mean settling for less.

⭐ Meet role models who understand the unique challenges you face
💥 Discover empowering disability history that will change everything
💡 Build confidence, independence, and a bright future 

Details for Week 1

Week One is for:

Middle school students with disabilities, includes students with IEPs and 504 Plans (ages 11-14), who are planning to go on to college, trade, or tech school.

Time and Date:

June 8 – 12, 2026

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Early/late access extended 30 minutes early and 1 hour late (7:30 AM – 5:00 PM)

Location:

TBA.

There is a single Camp “home base” location for student drop off and pick up. Previous Camp locations include St. Louis University, Missouri Botanical Garden, WashU, and St. Louis Community College — Forest Park.

General Info for 2026 Dream Big Camp

Camp Fees

There is no cost to families for Dream Big Camp!

Scholarships for fees are funded through the generous support of our community of donors.

Transportation

We have accessible transportation for our group to visit companies during the day.

If transportation to and from Camp is a barrier for your student to participate, free door-to-door transportation is available. If your student needs transportation from somewhere outside of St. Louis City or County, please contact us to discuss the details before committing to Camp: Dream Big Coordinator, Danielle Giuffrida, at dgiuffrida@starkloff.org or (314) 588-7090.

Apply for Dream Big Camp

We want to make Camp the best experience possible for each student. To do that, we talk with each family (parent and student) individually to ensure we are the best program for your student and understand what accommodations they might need to participate fully in all Camp activities.

Fill out the interest form below and the Dream Big Team will be in touch!

Your Day at Camp

Peer connection: Each day starts with ice breakers and other games to foster social skills and friendships

Company visit: Learn about what the company does, all the different kind of jobs required to make that happen, how they welcome employees with disabilities, and get some experience with a hands-on activity

Lunch (provided at the company or Camp) and break

Curriculum: From goal-setting to personal finance management, our “Adulting with a Disability” exercises are created and led by successful professionals with disabilities to prepare students for their futures

Social time: Hang out with Campers and Counselors, ask questions about the day or discuss a barrier encountered

Questions?

Use the form below or contact: Danielle Giuffrida, Dream Big Coordinator, at dgiuffrida@starkloff.org or (314) 588-7090.

Group of Dream Big Staff and Campers smiling

Dream Big Camp Interest Form

To register for Camp, fill out this form and the Dream Big Team will be in touch!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Student Name(Required)
Parent Name(Required)
Would you like to be contacted by our Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach Coordinator?
Sign me up for the Youth Programs newsletter
Events