Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS) is a service provided by Sacramento County that provides award-winning opportunities, for children, teens and adults with developmental and physical disabilities, mental and sensory impairments and special needs, to explore learn and have fun through recreation. The programs and events that are offered provide training in leisure, social, community and independent skills. This program was started in 1975 and is still growing with an annual attendance of more then 15,000 people.
TRS’ goal is for their participants to acquire the highest level of independence possible through leisure activities and community action. Events and activities teach cooking, sports, movies, kite flying, exploring the city by bus and confidence building through fun.
The TRS center is located on Florin road, but for people outside of that area additional services are provided at community centers, schools, parks and community sites.
Programs and services include:
• Social Clubs
• Travel Excursions
• Sports, Fitness, & Outdoor Adventures
• Vocational Training
• Classes -cooking, drafts, drama and more
• Special Events
• Community Outreach
• Therapeutic Recreation Internships
• Information & Referral
By attending activities and events TRS participants learn skills such as: communication, decision making, organization of time, money management, and community resources. This program is inexpensive and kept to the minimum amount of money needed for each event.
Recent events included a night at the drive in, second Saturday art walk, Elk Grove giant pumpkin harvest festival, jewelry making workshop, weekend trip to Santa Cruz and a cooking class.
TRS also has a Special Olympics team named The Chargers and have participated for over 20 years in the Special Olympics. The sports that are included are swimming, track and field, floor hockey, soccer and basketball. Practice for each sport is once per week to prepare athletes for qualifiers and tournaments.
Dances are also on the entertainment list of things to do. The dances are held at La Sierra Community Center and at the North Highlands Community Center and are an important part of the socializing and communications skill building. These dances also provide a comfortable environment for TRS participants to cut loose and enjoy the company of each other.
TRS is staffed by therapeutic recreation specialists, recreation leaders, support staff and many volunteers who assist in all aspect of recreational adventures and camaraderie with participants. TRS is another example of a great service Sacramento County has to offer. To learn more about TRS visit the county website www.sacparks.net/therapeutic-services/index.html.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
YouTube "A Vision of Students Today"
After watching the video “A vision of Students Today” on youtube I wanted to make a video of my own by taking a survey of Sac State student and find out what type of lives the student at my school are living. Overall, this student made video had a dramatic impact on my and put a spotlight on a problem I have. The problem is the system. I knew it was there, but I accepted it for the way things are suppose to be.
This vision these students have is one of change. By making this video they are questioning the system in which they are being educated and not following the group of sheeple around them. Sheeple are sheep people. People that live their life content with other people making decisions for them even if it causes a problem that is directly related to their everyday well being.
I think one of the main problems with Universities today is the transformation that was made years ago from being an educational facility, with the student’s education in mind, to a business, with the students’ money in mind. Today, I do believe that professors are on the side of the student, but sometimes they are forced to conform to the business ethics of the higher-ups within the University system. Classes are cut, expensive books are assigned and short-cuts are taken for the best interest of the financial gain of the university.
The students that made the video on you tube are taking a step toward changing the current system. They are reaching thousands of students everyday with their video and causing a wave of reactions, agreements, disagreement, blogs and obviously homework assignments. This is called awareness of the problem. This awareness can stem change; I’m not saying it will but the potential is there.
The most shocking part of the video, which was also the part that I could relate to, was when the students held up signs saying, “I get an average of seven hours of sleep per night” or “I talk on my cell phone three hours per day”. Those are the type of thought I have everyday. I’m always busy calculating how much time I have to do a certain homework assignment or walk from point A to point B in order to be somewhere on time. When they actually calculated the average persons time schedule it equaled 26.5 hours. WHAT!!! There is only 24 hours in a day.
What does that mean. To me this means students is being forced to spread themselves too thin. They are, as the video said, “Multi-taskers, because we have to be.” I multi-task too much. I think my multi-tasking is resulting is bad health. I don’t think it is healthy to eat on the run, literally…everyday! I don’t think it is healthy to sleep on average five hours per night. I don’t think a healthy idea of exercise is running to classes or work everyday. Plus all of the above adds stress to a stressful life.
I don’t have a solution, but this video made me think…is there one?
This vision these students have is one of change. By making this video they are questioning the system in which they are being educated and not following the group of sheeple around them. Sheeple are sheep people. People that live their life content with other people making decisions for them even if it causes a problem that is directly related to their everyday well being.
I think one of the main problems with Universities today is the transformation that was made years ago from being an educational facility, with the student’s education in mind, to a business, with the students’ money in mind. Today, I do believe that professors are on the side of the student, but sometimes they are forced to conform to the business ethics of the higher-ups within the University system. Classes are cut, expensive books are assigned and short-cuts are taken for the best interest of the financial gain of the university.
The students that made the video on you tube are taking a step toward changing the current system. They are reaching thousands of students everyday with their video and causing a wave of reactions, agreements, disagreement, blogs and obviously homework assignments. This is called awareness of the problem. This awareness can stem change; I’m not saying it will but the potential is there.
The most shocking part of the video, which was also the part that I could relate to, was when the students held up signs saying, “I get an average of seven hours of sleep per night” or “I talk on my cell phone three hours per day”. Those are the type of thought I have everyday. I’m always busy calculating how much time I have to do a certain homework assignment or walk from point A to point B in order to be somewhere on time. When they actually calculated the average persons time schedule it equaled 26.5 hours. WHAT!!! There is only 24 hours in a day.
What does that mean. To me this means students is being forced to spread themselves too thin. They are, as the video said, “Multi-taskers, because we have to be.” I multi-task too much. I think my multi-tasking is resulting is bad health. I don’t think it is healthy to eat on the run, literally…everyday! I don’t think it is healthy to sleep on average five hours per night. I don’t think a healthy idea of exercise is running to classes or work everyday. Plus all of the above adds stress to a stressful life.
I don’t have a solution, but this video made me think…is there one?
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