Courage
Center Partners with Minneapolis
Public Schools for Adapted Physical Education
by
Patricia Goodwin
Lloyd Thompson
had never used an ice sled before but that didn’t
make any difference to the Webster Elementary student. Within minutes
after he arrived at The Depot Ice Rink in downtown Minneapolis on
Dec. 14, he was out on the ice. Using hand held picks, he skated
his way around the rink and never looked back.
Thompson and six other students from an adapted physical education
class were part of an outing arranged by The Courage Center and the
Minneapolis Public Schools. The children with disabilities ranged
in age from kindergarten up through 8th grade from either Harry Davis
Academy or Webster Elementary. Also spending the morning at The Depot
were some 60 able-bodied students from Dakota Hills Middle School
in Eagan, who had made their own arrangement to go ice skating.
“Our kids thoroughly enjoyed the outing and so did our staff
and parents,” said Ryan Anderson, a DAPE (Developmental Adapted
Physical Education) teacher with the Minneapolis Public Schools. “We
are always looking for new recreational activities for our students
and this fit the bill. We don’t have the type of equipment
and experience that The Courage Center has for children with disabilities
so this was a great opportunity for the kids.
“The interaction
with the other school was great, especially when those students
started skating with our kids and pushing the ice sleds. After
the outing, our students were able to go back to school and tell
their peers they went ice skating just like everyone else. It was
a self-confidence builder and it was empowering.”
For the past
few years, The Courage Center has been partnering with the Minneapolis
Public Schools to bring program opportunities to its students with
disabilities, such as archery and downhill skiing. “This
is the first time we had a skating event with the school children,” said
Janelle Spoden from The Courage Center Sports & Recreation, which
supplied the ice sleds.
“The staff
at The Depot who helped us out with this event were really phenomenal.
They made ice skating a great experience for the kids from the
Minneapolis Schools as well as the kids from Eagan. And meshing
the groups together is just what we like to see - both groups of
kids, all of varying abilities, learning from each other and playing
together.”
