Laserfiche WebLink
Everyday at camp, our campers will bee ngagingin fun and exciting outdoor recreation activities, learning <br />news kiIIsand discovering passions that we hope will stick with them for a Iifetime. Students will learn how <br />to paddle a kayak or raft, how to scuba dive, how to snorkel and swim in a river safely, how to walk in <br />nature, how to explore a cave, how to climb a rock wall, and more. We believe that inspiring a love of <br />nature and outdoor recreation inch i I drenwill help them stay physicaIlyand mentally healthythroughout <br />the irIifetimes. <br />Outcome/Goal4 - Improve the overall quality of IifeforSan Marcos families and youth <br />Research suggests that exposure ton aturecan reduce stress and increases quality of life inch i I dren and adults. <br />We provide children with that exposure. Additionally, by instiIling an appreciation for nature, we are helping <br />infIuencefuture IeadersthatwiII make decisions that project the ecological integrity of the San Marcos area, <br />improving quality of life forits' residents. <br />Goals for the program: For all children in the region to 1) experience what it is like to be areal scientist, 2) have a rich <br />and novel experience that inspires a love for nature, 3) become informed citizens of our community that realize the <br />value of our natural resources, especially the San Marcos Rivera nd the Edwards Aquifer <br />How will they know they met these goals: Goals one and two will beach i eve dwhen camp registration fills up and <br />children attend our camp, where they will receive scientific and nature -based experiences. For goa13, we will develop, in <br />conjunction with biology education researchers in our department, an evaluation tome asure changes in camper <br />knowledge and attitudes resulting from our camps. <br />Numberof clients served yearly: 233 Number of direct clients served ONLY in San Marcos: 25 <br />Amount Requested: $5,000 Commission on Children and Youth Recommendation: $1,325 <br />Texas State Universitv <br />Autism SummerCamp — Our program, the Texas State University Autism Summer Camp is the first of its kind in San <br />Marcos. Established in 2010, this autism camp is a partnership between the Texas State University's Department of <br />Health and Human Performance and San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District (SMCISD). This camp <br />provides manychildren accessto a quality summercamp experience designed to accommodate the special needs of <br />children with autism. We do notturn down any child because of the severityof his/her disability. We hostfourl-week <br />camp sessionseachsummer. Camp counselors assistcampers(1:1) in daily schedule that provides time for dance, <br />music, arts, crafts, games, swimming, yoga, and many othertherape utic activities. <br />How they will measure program success: All counselors keep a journal to record theirdaily interactive activities with <br />theirassigned child. Aftereach camp session, counselors submit a summary describingtheiroverall experience withthe <br />assigned child. Theywrite aboutthe usefulness of the trai ni ng sessions before the camp, problems that occurred during <br />the camp sessions, ways they solved problems, and whatthey learned from servingthe campers. All parents/caregivers <br />complete a survey at the end of each summercamp session. They are asked to answerquestions aboutthe impact of <br />the scholarshiptotheirfinancial needs and theirchild'scamp experience. Questionswill include perception ofsavingsto <br />theirbudget based on cost of child care. Parentswill be asked to provide examplesof specifically howthe savings <br />benefited theirfamily and questions related tothe children's camp activities, counselors, and parents' perception about <br />theirchild's overall camp experience. Children will be measured on their proficiency in fundamental motorskills before <br />and afterthe 4 -week camp. The abilityto perform fine and gross motor skills will p rovide children with opportunitiesto <br />successfully integrate intotheircommunities. <br />Priority Areas that this program will fulfill: The SMCISD curre ntly has about 75 school -aged children identified with <br />autism and approximately 60-70% of them are from low-income families. Furthermore, manyof these <br />children live in single -parent households, making it more difficultto obtain support summer <br />services. Thiscamp provides a service tothe children with disability (autism) who are also <br />financially disadvantaged. Ourautism summercamp program will fulfill the SMCCY reframed Outcome/Goal 4. <br />Outcome/Goal4: Improve the overall quality of life forSan Marcos families and youth <br />