This story is part of a series on the winners of the 2023 President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success:
Opening their doors in 2018 (only to close them during the COVID-19 pandemic) the Niagara College Therapeutic Recreation Activities Collective (nc-TRAC) leveraged the fall 2022 re-launch to reimagine the program which provides comprehensive support for the well-being of students and the community through evidence-based, therapeutic recreation services, experiences, and resources.
And in the spring of 2023, professors Christine Wilkinson and Erin Wilkie in the School of Community Service, and nc-TRAC Program Manager Abby Silver were recognized as NC innovators – recipients of the 2023 President’s Award for Innovation in Student Learning and Success.
“We when we met to redesign the original version of nc-TRAC, my Recreation Therapy colleagues and I had big visions,” said Wilkie.
The team took their experience with the central hub and expanded it across five pillars to maximize their support for students.
The five pillars include the physical, on-campus hub which features multi-sensory environments and regular programming, as well as programming in communal spaces across campus, wellness in the classroom, outreach in the community, and opportunities for Recreation Therapy students to develop their own programming through coursework or on a voluntary basis.
“In its short time, the reimagined nc-TRAC has made a significant impact for students across Niagara College,” said Jaclyn Frail, Associate Dean, School of Community Services. “In the fall of 2022, nc-TRAC provided over 48 on-campus activities that reached more than 2400 students that term. nc-TRAC was set to surpass these fall figures with 36 on-campus activities and more than 2200 students participating by mid-winter term. Its strong focus on student wellness and engagement is a direct reflection of the incredible team that brings nc-TRAC to life. Abby, Christine, Erin and the Recreation Therapy student volunteers are committed to its success and are the heart of the innovation that takes place each day.”
With the field of Recreation Therapy being relatively new, Silver explains that innovation is key to its success.
“It’s about learning from experiences, adapting and implementing in order to meet the needs of our students,” said Silver. “When we see a need, we take action and find a way to fill the gaps. It allows us to help advocate for the profession and give our students opportunities that they wouldn’t have if they had chosen to study elsewhere.”
The feedback from students has encouraged the team that they’re moving in the right direction.
“We hear repeatedly from students that they appreciate the unique learning opportunities our program provides, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from our students about the return of nc-TRAC, and what it has brought to their NC experience,” said Wilkinson.
The culture of supporting creative thinking at the College has helped to drive Wilkinson’s work over nearly three decades.
“Working at a college that supports and encourages innovation is what has kept me passionate about teaching for almost 30 years,” said Wilkinson. “I have always appreciated feeling comfortable to bring an idea forward knowing that the answer most often will be a ‘yes’ or at least a ‘let’s see how we can make this work. Recreation Therapy is still a relatively new profession, and by looking for opportunities to be innovative, the program at Niagara College has become known provincially as a leader, offering unique projects and partnerships that are not found anywhere else in the college system.”
The nc-TRAC team has a clear plan to leverage their winning funds to advance their program. The $2,500 will help remove the financial barrier to train students to become certified to lead workshops and activities. It will also support an investment in additional sensory equipment for their Snoezelen Lab where students can relax and rejuvenate themselves before, after, and in-between their classes.
For Silver and the nc-TRAC team, the recognition means more visibility for a program that is improving connection, well-being, and quality of life for NC students.
“Innovation is important to Niagara College as a whole because it’s what makes us unique. Our innovation allows us to help uplift the NC community by giving students opportunities to improve their well-being, connect with their peers, and have experiential learning opportunities all while on campus,” said Silver.
