Mary Ellen Hill ~ Storyteller & Teacher

Please fill out the FAD PAD Emergency Form or I can email it to you.

If you have already been to ACC, or to a FAD PAD playshop or camp, and your contact information has not changed,
you do not need to fill out the FAD PAD Emergency Form.

"ACC is the only camp I really want to go to!"
- 9 year old

"Thank you for making ACC. ACC not only helped us with adoption, but helped us get through some rough times and still have fun",
- from a thank you card from the ACC 2015/16 club

"Thank you for creating ACC camp. This camp has been really helpful to me because I can actually have something in common with others and make new friends, learn new things and tell my adoption story. So, thanks again, love,"
- 10 year old

One day in 2008, an 8 year-old friend asked me, "How did you handle being adopted?".  After telling her a couple of my strategies, I said, "Let's find some other adopted children who would want to get together and talk about this." My search led to therapy groups but not any play or art-based groups. So the two of us created the first Adoptees Connecting Camp in the summer of 2008!

How greatly I would have appreciated such a group when I was growing up in Indiana. I had no peer adoptees to relate to when I was a youngster, and I knew no adult adoptees. Those who attend ACC have an opportunity to be with other adopted children of various ages and with an adult adoptee. Over the years, I have seen that each child has a unique approach to life and adds his/her own particular wisdom to the group- no matter their age. As an adult, I have explored a wide variety of approaches to processing the feelings and thoughts about my adoption. And during my 30 year teaching career, I have created many successful creative classes and camps. These experiences, along with my 8 year old friend, fuel and inform my inspiration for ACC.

ACC is a fun, safe and creative place for adoptees, 7-14 years old. This club is for children who want to explore their adoption story in a supportive and playful way with other adopted children. Each child will have many opportunities to share, explore and celebrate their particular life journey as an adopted person through various art forms: writing, drawing, cooking, tai chi, mindfulness, creative visualization, and drama. Since there are no more than 8 children at our club meetings, there is time for all to participate fully. This year we will be contunie to use the fantastic, clever and practical booklet for adoptees when they are asked questions about adoption called: W.I.S.E. Up! Powerbook from The Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE).