MSU, USM partner to offer Adapted Swim Camp for individuals with special needs
STARKVILLE, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) — According to an MSU press release, Mississippi State’s Department of Kinesiology is partnering with the University of Southern Mississippi to teach children and adults with special needs the foundations of swimming and water safety.
The MSU-USM Adapted Swim Camp takes place July 13-17 in Hattiesburg at the Family YMCA of Southeast Mississippi, 3719 Veterans Memorial Dr.
Under the direction of Gregg Twietmeyer, MSU professor of kinesiology, certified adapted aquatics instructors from MSU will help participants develop confidence in the water and learn basic swimming skills and water safety. The camp requires swimmers to attend one 45-minute or 60-minute session per day in a five-day period, depending on age.
“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Alana Turner and the USM School of Kinesiology and Nutrition to bring an adapted swim camp to Hattiesburg,” Twietmeyer said. “Expanding aquatics opportunities for people with special needs across the state of Mississippi is a primary objective of the MSU Adapted Swim Camp.”
Turner is a USM assistant professor of kinesiology and nutrition and a three-time graduate of MSU’s Department of Kinesiology. During the camp, she said her team will learn directly from MSU staff and instructors as they lead the programming in Hattiesburg.
“Dr. Twietmeyer and I have been working for several months to make this camp happen,” Turner said. “Our goal is to build on this experience and ultimately establish an annual adapted swim camp at USM. MSU’s expertise and willingness to collaborate will be instrumental in making this possible. Additionally, support from the Aubrey Keith Lucas and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence will play a critical role in assisting with funding and advancing research opportunities associated with the camp.”
To be eligible, camp participants must be at least 3 years old and have a diagnosed disability. A parent or guardian must remain on site during the camp. Participants with a tracheostomy or G-tube stoma for less than two months are not eligible.
The registration fee is $100, with full scholarships available for those in need. Capacity is limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Volunteers are needed to assist and work with the campers for one session per day during the five-day period. All volunteers must be at least 15 years old and comfortable in the water. For more information on registration or volunteering, visit www.kinesiology.msstate.edu/swimcamp.The registration deadline is July 12.
For more information on the camp or scholarships, contact Twietmeyer at g.twietmeyer@msstate.edu.
MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Kinesiology, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at www.educ.msstate.edu.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2601MSSCDD, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
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