ADA / Reasonable Modification
Minnesota Aviation Career Education (ACE) Camp, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state law, does not exclude individuals on the basis of disability and provides reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures when necessary, unless doing so would fundamentally alter the nature of the Camp or result in a direct threat to health or safety.
All participants must be able to meet the stated essential functions and behaviors of Minnesota ACE Camp, with or without reasonable modifications. Eligibility determinations are based on an individualized assessment of the participant’s actual abilities in relation to the Camp’s overnight living environment and aviation-related activities.
Day in the Life
Minnesota ACE Camp is a fast-paced, immersive week designed to connect students to the many diverse career paths within the aviation industry
A typical day at camp begins with an early buffet-style breakfast, before students board the bus to their first activity. Bus trips are frequent throughout camp and are the only form of transportation available between events. Once students arrive at each event, they should expect a lot of walking and standing, especially during airport tours, hangar visits, and facility walkthroughs. Students should be comfortable being active for most of the day, but it’s not physically intense or competitive.
Camp is a great fit for students who:
Can manage moderate daily walking and standing
Are comfortable being part of a supervised group for most of the day
Can tolerate periods of noise, motion, and high-sensory environments
Noise levels vary! There are calm moments (bus rides, meals, classroom sessions), but also periods of strong sensory stimulation and vibration (aircraft flights, airfield tours). Activities also take place in indoor (conditioned and unconditioned) and outdoor settings, and during camp, temperatures range from pleasant to hot.
Days follow a planned schedule, but aviation environments require adaptability due to aircraft availability and weather changes. Camp staff do their best to communicate these changes clearly when the need arises, but students should be comfortable with unpredictable changes in the camp’s schedule.
Students are with the group most of the day, often moving together from activity to activity with limited alone time. Each day they will interact with fellow students, camp staff, pilots, mechanics, instructors, and other aviation professionals. As such, there is limited downtime throughout the week outside of the mornings and evenings. Once the day’s activities are over, students return to their rooms to rest and recharge for the following day.
Essential Functions & Behaviors
Read, write, and speak fluent English
Understand and comply with safety instructions provided verbally, visually, or in writing.
Respond appropriately to staff directions during routine activities and emergency situations, including evacuation or aircraft-related safety procedures
Egress independently a small aircraft in the event of an emergency
Maneuver on uneven surfaces (traverse and move around on uneven or broken surfaces, including carpet, sidewalks, asphalt, gravel, and grass)
Refrain from behavior that poses a significant risk of harm to self or others, or that interferes with camp activities or curriculum.
Engage and participate in a fast-paced daily schedule lasting up to 14 hours that encompasses indoor and outdoor settings and contain a range of auditory and visual stimuli.
Participate safely and independently in a supervised overnight camp environment with a fast-paced, highly structured curriculum
Follow core health and safety rules applicable to shared lodging, dining, and common areas.
Manage personal care needs independently without requiring one-to-one personal care by camp staff.
Maintain awareness of surroundings at all times without prompting from others.
Request a Modification
If you are unable to perform one or more of the skills or abilities listed above, please complete the Minnesota ACE Camp Reasonable Modification form and submit it via ADA@mnacecamp.org within 7 days of your application submission date. All requests must be made before admissions decisions are made due to the limited slots available.
Upon receipt of a Reasonable Modification request, Minnesota ACE Camp individually considers each request against the essential eligibility requirements listed above and the activities planned for the camp session desired. Decisions on requests for modifications to Minnesota ACE Camp programming will be made promptly and communicated in writing to the email address from which the request came (unless otherwise specified).
If you have any questions about the above process please contact our team at ADA@mnacecamp.org.