UMass Boston

Camp Shriver at UMass Boston Celebrates 20 Years of Inclusive PlayLAST SUMMER, UMass Boston’s Camp Shriver celebrated its 20th anniversary, commemorating two decades as a national leader in inclusive recreation for children with and without disabilities.

Since opening its doors in 2006, this free summer day camp has welcomed more than 2,500 Boston-area children—offering a community for campers of all abilities to play, learn, and grow together.

Camp Shriver marked the milestone with a celebration at the Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst, home to the program since 2021. The event brought together leaders from across the University of Massachusetts system, including President Marty Meehan and UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, along with dozens of longtime supporters and friends.

“Spending time with the kids at Camp Shriver is one of the highlights of my summer,” President Meehan shared during one of his earliest visits to the camp. “What happens [here] is inspirational, and all of us at the University of Massachusetts are proud to support it.”

Camp Shriver’s roots trace back to a single phone call from Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics and a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities. As her 85th birthday approached, Shriver reached out to Dr. Gary Siperstein, founder of UMass Boston’s Center for Social Development & Education, and asked: “How big is your chancellor’s backyard?” Shriver was determined to bring her original Camp Shriver—first held in her own Maryland backyard in 1962—to communities nationwide. “From her backyard to run back our backyard,” Siperstein remembers fondly.

Camp Shriver has since grown into an award-winning national model for inclusive play, serving up to 150 campers each summer. The camp welcomes an equal number of children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, fostering social skills, confidence, and lifelong friendships through sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis.

Many campers return year after year, with some, like Brayden Gero and Liam Rousmaniere, eventually returning as counselors to mentor the next generation. Camp Shriver Director Mark Spolidoro credits the camp’s enduring success to steadfast support from UMass Boston leadership and community partners.

“The past 20 years have been extraordinary—but we’re just getting started,” said Spolidoro. “Camp Shriver looks to the future with hope, energy, and a renewed commitment to creating a world where every child, regardless of ability, feels like they belong.”