Recreation Faculty (Jim Moore, Randy Burtz, Jill Heckathorn, Charlie Sylvester)

Students and Faculty at WRPA / NRPA Conferences

Geoteaming Event

"The hunt is on. Your team advances through the brush, hearts pounding, silent with anticipation as they close in on the cache. One team member decrypts a clue from her PDA, while another indicates potential locations on an aerial map. A burst of radio chatter relays vital information from a remote squad. Your GPS unit clicks off the quickly closing distance — three hundred feet. Two hundred. One hundred. Suddenly, from the corner of your eye, you spot it. You grab your digital camera and squeeze off a shot as a shout goes up from the team: We found it!”

Adam Hitch, Recreation Program alumnus and Playtime Inc. "Director of Fun" coordinated a team-building geocaching event for current students and faculty.

Camp TEAM

Since 2002, Recreation majors in Phase I and II have organized and staffed Camp T.E.A.M., an overnight camp for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. The camp is held at Camp Kirby on Samish Island in Mid-May each year.

Camp TEAM is a multi-agency effort with the coordinating committee consisting of members from Western Washington University Recreation Program, Skagit County recreation service providers, and Bellingham Parks and Recreation. Four of the leadership positions for Camp TEAM are held by Recreation majors for which they receive university credit.

Camp TEAM fills a social need for community members and provides a training ground for Western students. Community members have the opportunity to experience a variety of camp-related activities as well as learn crafts, sport skills, and environmental games with carryover value. They participate in a service project for Camp Kirby and live, play and work as members of integrated cabin groups. Most importantly, it seems that community members with developmental disabilities have the all-too-rare opportunity to “hang-out” in a natural way with other teens and adults. Western Recreation students leave the experience with a broader view of friendship and community as well as a greater understanding for serving persons with developmental disabilities in their home communities.

Neah Bay Ecotourism Trip