Students volunteer to help children with special needs
Kinder Kinetics is a new physical education program offered to students. This program entails working with special needs children in a variety of physical activities once a week on Wednesdays. This week’s program focused on sharpening the children’s motor abilities through games such as hopscotch, hula-hooping, trampolines and scooters.
The children, who arrive on a bus at 11:30 a.m., are assigned to various groups. Each group includes four of the roughly 30 children. Their ages range from three to six years old.
Amanda Brogan, a graduate assistant who aids in the program, has been involved with Kinder Kinetics for a few years. She’s experienced the remarkable uniqueness of each child in the program.
“Their personalities come in a wide range. It might not seem like it does, but it does. I mean, three year olds are very different than six year olds,” Brogan said.
The students’ teachers are excited to have the children working with Bonaventure students to better develop their motor, as well as intrapersonal, skills.
But the teachers aren’t the only ones excited about the program. Michael C., a child in Kinder Kinetics, looks forward to the program each week.
“I like the trampolines. They’re fun,” Michael said.
Michael has attended the program each week it’s available, and so has his classmate, Chase.
“My favorite’s those!” Chase said, pointing to the ball-throwing activity.
Chase has been playing in Kinder Kinetics for two years.
Kinder Kinetics was put together in the 90s, but the program now available was put together by associate professor Dr. Paula Scraba. The program is an excellent opportunity for education majors, or anyone wanting to work with children as a career, as it works with special needs children.
“It started for physical education majors, but now we offer sport studies as a major,” Scraba said. “So, now anyone can take this course. It’s open to education majors, and that’s what’s nice. We have a variety of students that are working with children.”
The program is also beneficial to the children involved and is always looking for new volunteers. Those interested in working with the children involved with Kinder Kinetics should email pscraba@sbu.edu.
By Anastasia Smith, Features Assignment Editor
smithan18@bonaventure.edu
