Western Courier

Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Katrina Strich (Front to back) Leslie Hiland, Lea Kafenshtok, Michelle Combs, Laurie Sander, Lyndsey Willard, Matt Barber and Mihail Kozhinwill are students in the RPTA 454 class.

College courses rarely give students the chance to help communities, learn resource management skills, design programs and earn credit all at the same time. However, one recreation, park and tourism administration class combines all these aspects to aid the mentally and physically disabled in Macomb.

RPTA 454, Management of Therapeutic Recreation, is a semester-long course offered by Western Illinois University. The class is split into group committees that work on marketing, budgeting and program coordination for the Macomb Park District's McDonough County Special Recreation Association.

The MCSRA uses recreational means, such as organized games and social outings, to aid individuals with mental and physical disabilities.

According to Dr. Marcia Carter, RPTA 454 professor, the MCSRA's recreational activities help improve living, social and communication skills.

"Recreation ... develops fundamental (living) skills like a minimal level of fitness to sustain daily activities," Carter said. "Social skills like taking turns, asking for assistance or playing on a team are developed through (activities) like Special Olympic events or community outings. Communication skills are ... developed through interventions like table and board games, dances, gardening and bowling."

In the course, students work in three separate groups to assist the MCSRA. The marketing group develops a logo, tagline and flier for the organization, and it identifies target markets and strategies. The group's main focus, according to Carter, is to inform caregivers, residents, participants and managers about the MCSRA.

In the programming segment, participants create and organize summer activities and events, and they establish goals and objectives for outreach, social and educational programs. The budgeting team finds alternative funding sources like partnerships and sponsorships. It also develops a line item budget that includes the expenses of the project.

"The class ... focuses on budgets, marketing, quality program design working with managers, teams, volunteers, interns, policies and procedures, as well as risk and safety management," Carter said.

Continued...

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