PEERS RVA bringing Social Skills Summer Camp to Eastern Shore Community College this July

A nationally recognized social skills program inspired by the relationship-building approach featured in the Netflix series Love on the Spectrum is coming to the Eastern Shore this summer, with a weeklong camp scheduled at Eastern Shore Community College from July 6 through July 10.

Richmond-based PEERS RVA announced it is expanding its 2026 PEERS® Social Skills Summer Camps to more than 10 locations across Virginia, including the Eastern Shore. Organizers say the local camp will give teens and young adults an opportunity to develop social confidence, friendship skills, and relationship-building strategies in a supportive environment close to home.

The camps are designed for neurodivergent teens and young adults ages 14 to 30, including individuals with autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and other social challenges. The curriculum is based on the internationally acclaimed PEERS® program developed at UCLA by Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson and Dr. Fred Frankel. Laugeson also appears on Love on the Spectrum, which has helped bring national attention to the importance of social connection and relationship skills for neurodivergent individuals.

According to PEERS RVA, the Eastern Shore camp at Eastern Shore Community College will provide students with practical instruction and real-world practice in areas such as planning get-togethers, handling disagreements and bullying, navigating dating and relationships, communicating online and by phone, using humor appropriately, and finding and maintaining friendships.

The organization says the expansion follows a successful 2025 season in which more than 100 students participated in camps across Virginia.

A 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General described social connection as “a fundamental human need, as essential to survival as food, water, and shelter.” PEERS RVA leaders say the camps are designed to help students build the tools necessary to create those connections.

“Students want connection. They just need the tools and practice to feel confident,” said Holly Roper, co-founder of PEERS RVA. “Our camps provide a supportive environment where students can learn and try new skills to build real relationships.”

Families who have participated in past programs reported positive outcomes, including improved confidence and increased social interaction among students.

In addition to the Eastern Shore location, camps are planned in communities including Roanoke, Manassas, Winchester, Leesburg, Harrisonburg, Buckingham, Richmond, Fluvanna, Fairfax, and Alexandria.

For participants unable to attend in person, PEERS RVA will also offer live virtual social skills classes beginning July 6 and September 1. The online programs will run for 16 weeks with weekly one-hour sessions for teens and young adults.

More information about the Eastern Shore camp and registration details can be found at PEERS RVA’s official website.