Ruskin Recreation Center is gearing up for its first summer camp for physically and mentally challenged youth, joining seven other Hillsborough County recreation centers.
The Riverview Recreation Center was the first one in South County to have a program for the disabled when it began serving students in an after-school program, and they also held one summer camp.
Under the direction of the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation, and Conservation Department, these programs are being added at specific centers in various parts of Hillsborough County. With addition of Ruskin, there will be eight sites that offer programs for challenged youth.
“Ruskin will have 150 youth with 25 challenged youth integrated into the programs,” said Melinda Wheatley, senior recreation specialist for parks and recreation.
Wheatley explained that Ruskin’s youth will come from Ruskin and Gibsonton elementary schools and Eisenhower Middle School on Big Bend Road.
“We will set up a hub at each site,” Wheatly said.
The program has been operating at Turkey Creek Elementary for two years, and also at Egypt Lake and several Tampa recreation centers and parks, she said.
The challenged youth will share in the same arts, crafts, indoor games, gardening and cooking as the other campers, but the ratio of student-to-staff goes from 1-to-25 to 1-to-6.
“We have youth with cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome — all kinds of differences, even spina bifida,” Wheatley said. “This has been a very positive experience for everyone, both the challenged and the ones that share their day with them.
“Courtney Reed and Katherine Sutko are two rec specialists who really enjoy working with these students,” Wheatley added.
Staff for these children must already be trained in either the recreation system or working with challenged youth.
“We have different requirements for this program’s staff than for our other programs,” she explained.
Programs also continue for those who are not challenged. “We have two programs at each center working side-by-side, sometimes with activities overlapping for inclusionary events.”
At this time, Ruskin has integrated 25 disabled youth with the 150 other attendees, she said.
Starting June 13, a summer camp will have youth bussed in from Gibsonton, Ruskin, Eisenhower and East Bay schools.
Courtney Reed is looking forward to it.
Reed, a therapeutic recreation specialist who works with the disabled ages 5 through 22 at Riverview, plans to work at Ruskin as well.
They call her program Camp Spark.
“I’ve been at Riverview three years in a separate program [for the challenged], not integrated. “We do arts and crafts at Riverview, and every Wednesday we have a cooking activity. We’ve made Rice Krispies® treats and tacos and all kinds of other things. The goal is to help them achieve fine motor skills and higher functioning social skills,” Reed said.
“They’re my kids,” she continued. “I’ve worked with youth like these for more than 20 years. It gives me a lot of pleasure to see them learn new things and be able to accomplish tasks on their own. Getting along with each other, and with others not like them is also very important, and I always try and help them do that. I am looking forward greatly to new programs like Ruskin’s opening up in the future.”
To find out about these programs and others given by Parks and Recreation, or to apply for a summer counseling position (applicants must be 18 or older; no experience necessary), visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org; then go to Parks, Recreation and Conservation and choose either “sign up for program” or “careers.”