By Amanda Mlekush
Students from the Master’s of Occupational Therapy cohort and their faculty spent a week in October volunteering at Camp Blue Skies, a residential camp for individuals 21 and older who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Camp Blue Skies offers camps in the Carolinas and Georgia to enhance campers’ lives through recreation, socialization and life skills education.
OT program director and professor Dr. Jenny Womack said the App State students were able to apply what they’re learning in their program while participating in activities related to physical skills, sensory regulation, emotional responses during nature walks, fishing, drumming, paintball and dancing.
“When we first began planning the occupational therapy program at App State, we knew that we wanted an initial fieldwork experience for our first-year students that allowed them to interact with people in a natural environment and to be able to see people with different abilities doing things that all of us would enjoy doing,” said Womack. “Camp Blue Skies gives us the perfect opportunity to fulfill this goal, because the focus is on strengths and participation, not on deficits or disability.”
The students also spent time supporting campers with social recreational activities such as skits, karaoke, and social dancing by co-performing and modeling successful interactions.
Student David Ngo said he enjoyed seeing the joy and enthusiasm from the Camp Blue Skies participants and how they brought that joy to every activity – whether it was fishing, dancing, or even the talent show performances.
“There was a strong sense of community and belonging, and the camp was a safe space for them to express themselves,” he said. “I was impressed with how independent many of the campers were. I would tell a first-year OT student to go in with an open mind and a willingness to learn and step outside your comfort zone. You’ll learn just as much (if not more) from the campers as they will from you.”
Another student, Brandy Hayes, said she began to see the connection between the therapeutic relationship she has been learning about in her master’s program.
“Camp Blue Skies provided us with a glimpse into the essential use and benefits of the therapeutic relationship of self, a concept integral to occupational therapy and spanning all courses. I was impressed with how the campers and volunteers were able to build rapport, share perspectives, and create connections.”
Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Coordinator Dr. Elizabeth Jasper said the program plans to continue building the relationship with Camp Blue Skies to continue offering this immersive experience for future MSOT cohorts.
“This was such a powerful way for students beginning their first semester of study to become fully immersed in a camp experience,” Jasper said. “The joy of the campers became our joy, and the sense of belonging that filled the week reminded us of the shared humanity and connection at the heart of occupational therapy, as well as the transformative power of occupation.”
Woman in an orange shirt and bandana leans toward another person who is wearing sunglasses and a cap in an indoor rustic setting
Dr. Jenny Womack (right) shares a fun moment with an OT student