APSU’s Speech-Language & Swallowing Clinic hosts successful Kids’ Camp
By: Victoria Godinez June 24, 2024
Children develop speech, language and literacy skills through fun activities at the APSU Speech-Language & Swallowing Community Clinic’s second annual Kids’ Camp. | Photo by Sean McCully.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s Speech-Language & Swallowing Community Clinic hosted its second annual Kids' Camp from June 10-14, offering enriching experiences for children in grades 1-3 and valuable training opportunities for graduate students in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program.
The inspiration behind the camp stems from the clinic's commitment to providing authentic clinical experiences for its students while also serving the local community. This year’s event focused on a variety of activities aimed at enhancing speech, language and literacy skills in young children.
The mission of the MSLP program is to improve the lives of people with communication disorders in Tennessee and surrounding regions by preparing highly competent professionals. By offering community-based services such as the Kids' Camp and other clinics held throughout the summer, the faculty can train students in evidence-based interventions while providing valuable services to the community at no cost.
“I collaborated with a team of clinicians to create exciting language enrichment activities for children,” said Emily Poteete, a student clinician in the MSLP program. “For example, learning about the volcanoes in American Samoa through reading informative text and building a volcano. Witnessing their enthusiasm and development reaffirmed my passion for speech-language pathology and the impactful work we do.”
Throughout the week-long camp, children engaged in a range of activities centered around the theme "Around the World." Each day, they rotated through different centers, each focusing on specific speech, language or literacy skills while exploring a new country. This immersive experience exposed the children to diverse vocabulary and cultures and allowed them to collect stamps for their "passports," adding a fun and interactive element to the learning process.
Some of the camp's highlights included a safari hunt in Kenya, paper airplane races in Japan, a volcano eruption simulation in the U.S. Territories, a mission to Madagascar and a lively hula dance session in Hawaii. These activities not only provided entertainment but also targeted specific language and communication skills, allowing the children to learn and practice in a dynamic and engaging environment.
“The Speech-Language-Literacy camp is one of my favorite annual events,” said Jennifer Brandon, clinical education coordinator for the MSLP program. “It is so rewarding to witness the knowledge and creativity our students demonstrate while planning and implementing the activities. The children who participate have the opportunity to make new friends, learn and practice skills, all while having fun.”
The Speech-Language & Swallowing Community Clinic is now enrolling clients with communication disorders of all ages for Fall 2024. Please contact slpclinic@apsu.edu or 931-220-1622 for more information.