Kennedy Laing shares her impressions of her co-op experience at Camp Woodeden in London, Ontario:
“I was fortunate enough to be exposed to the Easter Seals Woodeden Camp in London through the co-op program twice. The first time I worked with the camp I was a counselor; which entailed providing daily personal care for the campers as well as assisting with adaptations such as hand over hand at programs. In my second year, I returned as a Sports and Games Program Staff which involved providing personal care for campers as well as creating, organizing and implementing a variety of camp programs.
Easter Seals operates a camp for campers with different abilities. The majority of the individuals have limitations relating to cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and muscular dystrophy. Therefore, the camp experience must be fully wheelchair accessible and adaptable. Therefore the Camp strives to promote independence and growth.
I was fortunate to work with a knowledgeable and supporting staff, which provided an environment for personal growth and learning. My co-op experience provided me with the opportunity to learn biomechanically safe lifts, personal care, sport adaptations, planning and implementing programs, and how to communicate using non-verbal communication devices.
Aside from the communicative, physical and mental growth, this co-op opportunity has provided, I now view my entire world outside of camp differently. At camp, there are no limitations, but outside of camp, I began to notice how limiting the rest of our communities are for some of these individuals.
Some of the lessons I’ve learned through my co-op experience are:
- There is never only one way to accomplish a single task.
- The individuals around you can be your biggest knowledge resource.
- Work hard and enjoy every small success because they do make a difference."
Olivia Jones adds that the co-op program allowed her to develop her interview skills, enhance her communication skills such as organization, accountability, leadership and time management. For Olivia, the co-op experience allowed her to explore career options that may be of interest to her upon graduation.
Kennedy Laing
Kinesiology-Sport Management
Haleigh Lovell
Kinesiology-Movement Science
Olivia Jones
Kinesiology-Movement Science