TORONTO - Every child deserves a chance to attend a summer camp, including the 80 special needs students Pat Reilly is head counsellor to this summer. 

"These kids are the same as everybody else even though they cannot maybe do the same things as everybody else," said Reilly, who's overseen the Powerful Summer day-camp program since it began five years ago. "In everyday activities they are the same. They laugh the same, they cry the same and they try their best."

Hosted at Michael Power/St. Joseph's Secondary School, Powerful Summer offers special-needs students, Grade 8 and above, from Toronto's Catholic schools west of Yonge Street a daily mixture of academic programs and physical activities while teaching basic life skills. Almost entirely funded by the Toronto Catholic District School Board's (TCDSB) continuing education department, the camp operated Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. during July. Parents pay $85 to cover a weekly field trip and barbecue.

"The biggest thing is it gives parents something for their kids to do," said Reilly, Michael Power's head of special education for the past 25 years. "It's just a really good experience for everybody."

Powerful Summer veteran camper Jennifer Rocha, 20, can testify to that point.

"I like to come to camp because it's really fun and I get to enjoy it with all my friends. I don't have anything to do at home, I don't have friends (there)," said Rocha. "Mr. Reilly has been really great. He's actually organized this camp really well for all of the students."

Diagnosed with mild intellectual disabilities, Rocha, or "Rock Star" as Reilly's nicknamed her, has been attending Powerful Summer since it's inaugural year in 2007. Next summer Rocha will not be eligible to enroll at Powerful Summer but said she plans to take what she's learned over the past five years and apply it by getting involved in similar community programs.

But it isn't just special needs students reaping the benefits, both short and long-term. Connor McGuckin, second-year York University kinesiology student, has been advancing his future career by working at the camp for the past two years. Several TCDSB students, mostly from Michael Power, volunteer at the camp earning their compulsory 40 hours of community service.

"A camp like this is just a great experience to work at in the summer," said McGuckin, 18. "It gives me a chance to work with kids with special needs. I have an amazing time and I don't think that I'm coming into work everyday."

A graduate of Michael Power, which has the largest special needs student population in the TCDSB, McGuckin felt he had very little exposure to caring for those with special needs prior to working at Powerful Summer.

"At first I was really nervous about the scenario, what I'd be doing," he said. "But once all the kids were together everyone got along and it was a great thing."

As one of 14 educational assistant students working alongside 16 full-time educational assistants and nine special-needs qualified teachers, McGuckin said he's learning as much as the campers.

That's something Reilly's heard before, including from his own two children who've been involved with the camp over the years.

"The nice thing about (Powerful Summer) is that it's given a number of kids over the years that are interested in becoming teachers some really good hands-on experience working with kids with special needs," said Reilly. "It gives them the realization that not everyone in this world has the same needs and the same abilities."

Those attending the camp this summer range from high-needs autistic youth requiring constant one-on-one supervision to those with mild developmental delays like Rocha who frequently assists councillors in caring for the physically challenged campers.

"All our students take a little bit of ownership," said Reilly. "Teachers did this for me as a kid and they let me get involved. Every kid should have something to do after school, even our special needs group of kids."