Developing a Summer Enrichment Program for School-Aged Children: The Role of Occupational Therapy in Summer Experiences

Participation in summertime experience for youth have become increasingly popular in most recent years. With the growth in summer experiences including summer camp participation, there is a need to determine the role of occupational therapy in this emerging practice area to best serve the community. A 16-week capstone experience was completed under the supervision of Great Strides Rehabilitation occupational therapy staff. The capstone project aimed to fill a gap in summertime experiences by designing and implementing an occupational therapy led enrichment program to achieve the best outcomes for children and youth. A six-week enrichment program was successfully developed, and two-weeks were implemented. Achievements, challenges and limitations discovered during planning and implementation were considered when making improvements for future implementation of this summer enrichment program and all materials used were left with the Great Strides staff to ensure minimal preparation for the future.