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Objectives:
- Provide a unique creative teaching strategy encompassing different learning styles, ages, developmental stages, and physical capabilities for 134 campers and 79 counselors with bowel and/or bladder disorders
- Focus on specific issues that campers may face, including self-esteem, fitting in at school, medical issues and the psychological effects of dealing with personal differences and medical diagnoses
- Reach through feelings of fear and shame by offering a safe environment and empowering each child to trust their fellow campers, counselors, and WOC nurses with questions related to their own and others’ medical condition(s)
Process:
Using central concepts from the reality television show, “The Amazing Race,” as well as a nationally-based scavenger hunt, “The Great Urban Race, the Youth Rally’s 2010 camp theme, “Great Rally Race” incorporated medical content with hands-on demonstration, activities, intellectual knowledge/testing, role playing, and reflective observation. Campers were assigned into groups with the same or similar diagnoses, and nurses served as team leaders. Diagnosis groups included the following: bladder exstrophy, cloacal exstrophy, spina bifida, trauma/spinalmuscular atrophy, hydronephrosis, Hirschsprung’s/obstructive/dysmotility/short gut, polyposis/NEC/Byler’s, anorectal malformation, Crohn’s, and ulcerative colitis. Counselors volunteered as the educational Pit Crew at 13 timed Pit Stops, each themed according to the differing medical diagnoses. Each camper group was pre-assigned to a Pit Stop rotation, solving clues to progress forward. Interactive group skills focused on leadership, teamwork, and collaboration.
Outcomes:
Positive results were obtained from campers and counselors through written survey, verbal expression, and follow-up discussion groups.