September 24, 2019
Occupational Therapist students Emma, left, and Kathleen Bergen, right, share a Camp Explore cooking adventure with Jaxon Giesbrecht at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. The five-day camp allows teens to explore their independence and gain important skills — such as budgeting, cooking and job hunting — as they transition into adulthood.
Story and photo by Vanessa Gomez
EDMONTON — Teens with mobility issues are getting a chance to learn more about their communities with Camp Explore — a five-day, goal-oriented and therapy-focused experience at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital — that’s designed to prepare them for their transition into adulthood.
“This is a time when they are seeking independence,” says Ann Boyd, an occupational Therapist at the GRH. “The focus of the camp is practising those community living skills, regardless of mobility.”
With this year’s theme of “independence”, the teens ventured out in the community to go grocery shopping, learn about money and budgeting, tour Grant MacEwan University’s fitness centre, visit EmployAbilities to learn about how to apply for jobs, and practise their interview skills.
Any pediatric patient in the GRH outpatient program, or connected to a physiatrist, is welcome to take part in the program, with the functional goal of wanting to learn further independence.
Jaxon Giesbrecht, who recently attended Camp Explore for the first time, says he enjoyed his week as he explored Whyte Avenue, cooked with NAIT’s Head of Culinary Arts, Jeff Gordon, and learned new skills to become more independent.
“I’ve been to camps before, but not everything is accessible,” he says. “It can be really frustrating, but this camp really works.”
Parents can take comfort in knowing their child is in a safe environment as they discover their independence. As well, Camp Explore connects the teens to community resources they may not have known about.
“I’ve had parents tell me it’s so refreshing for their teens to have an opportunity to practise these skills in a space where they are with peers who are like them,” says Boyd. “There is so much ability they can see in their teens. Hopefully, this experience gives them the confidence to continue exploring these skills outside of camp.”
As for next year, Giesbrecht says he’s excited to come back. For his part, Boyd adds that he hopes the program will continue to grow and generate more opportunities for new activities.
“It’s really exciting to see them take risks,” says Boyd. “It’s a safe space to try things they’ve never tried before — and they are breaking down barriers to live independently.”
