Recreational therapy (RT) utilizes leisure and recreation interventions to help individuals with disabilities, illnesses and injuries improve or maintain well-being. Leisure education (LE) is a key modality used in recreational therapy. RECR 250 Leisure Education and Therapeutic Recreation is a course offered in the Therapeutic Recreation Program curriculum at Longwood University. The course professor, Dr. Susan Lynch, emphasizes the importance of increasing leisure awareness or understanding the value and impact of leisure on lifelong well-being, as a primary intervention within LE programming. LE also gives clients access to resources and helps them to develop leisure skills, especially physical activity to reduce being sedentary. In order for students to learn how to implement LE programming, Dr. Lynch partnered with the Longwood LIFE program. Longwood LIFE is a two-year certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Through this partnership, Longwood University Therapeutic Recreation Program students planned and implemented a leisure education program for Longwood LIFE.
Dr. Lynch stated that this collaboration with Longwood LIFE, which started five years ago, allowed TR students to gain more hands-on experience and use the skills they have learned throughout their studies to work with individuals with disabilities in a real-world setting. The TR students assessed LL students based on their leisure interests to help identify activities they would enjoy. Next, the TR students came up with seven modalities including sports, board games, card games, scrapbooking, baking, journaling, and making a YouTube video. Subsequently, the TR students had to come up with four different sessions for each modality. They had to write a plan for each session and then implement it with LIFE students over a four-week program. At the conclusion, the TR students planned a party to celebrate the LIFE student's success in the LE program.
We interviewed two TR students about leisure education. When asked what she gained from this experience, Gracie replied, “Gaining knowledge by insight from other people’s interest in leisure. Being able to learn by being involved and gaining the ability to expand my leisure interests.” We asked Jenna why she thinks leisure education is important for LL students to learn and she stated, “They get the opportunity to interact with their peers, learn new aspects [of leisure], and get to learn new skills and activities that they can do after these sessions.” Gracie finds leisure education important in her personal life as well because it helps her make schedules while balancing work and school. This helps her relax her mind and be content with where she is at in life.
We interviewed two LL students about their experience. We asked Keyera what she would hope to gain from this experience. She explained that they are learning new things that they could do in their free time. She explained that she had never scrapbooked before and she found that she enjoyed it and wants to continue scrapbooking. She stated that she feels like this program is helping her to reach her personal goals. Keyera states that the LE program showed her how to use leisure-based skills in her everyday life. Additionally, she explained that leisure is helpful for destressing. Kyreece stated, “I appreciate learning new things from the TR students and getting to know people better.” He also mentioned that it was a fun experience being able to participate in activities alongside TR students. This is why leisure education is crucial to everyone.