MSU offers spring, summer Adapted Swim Camps for individuals with special needs
Contact: Bethany Shipp
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Department of Kinesiology hosts the MSU Adapted Swim Camp this spring and summer to teach children and adults with special needs the foundations of swimming and water safety.
The spring camp takes place March 16-20 and serves ages 3-14, with the summer camp June 1-5 serving ages 3 to adult. Both camps will be held in MSU’s Sanderson Center, 225 Bailey Howell Dr.
Under the direction of Associate Professor of Kinesiology Gregg Twietmeyer, certified adapted swim instructors and MSU student volunteers will help participants develop confidence in the water and learn basic swimming skills and water safety. The camp requires swimmers to attend one 45-minute or 60-minute session per day over a five-day period, depending on age.
“The MSU Adapted Swim Camp focuses on two things,” Twietmeyer said. “First, the intrinsic joy of swimming. Swimming is fun. It is play. As such, it should be open to all. Second, our camp teaches vital safety skills to people with special needs. Drowning, for instance, is a leading cause of injury and death for children with autism. Our camps help swimmers and their caregivers have greater skills and confidence in and around water.”
To be eligible for the camp, participants must be at least 3 years old and have a diagnosed disability. Participants with a tracheostomy or G-tube stoma for less than two months are not eligible. A parent or guardian must remain on site during the camp.
The registration fee is $100, with full scholarships available for those in need. Capacity is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Volunteers are needed to assist and work with the campers for one session per day over the five-day period. All volunteers must be at least 15 years old and comfortable in the water. For more information on registration or volunteering, visit www.kinesiology.msstate.edu/swimcamp.
For more information on the camp or scholarships, contact Twietmeyer at g.twietmeyer@msstate.edu.
MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Kinesiology, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at www.educ.msstate.edu.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2401MSSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
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