KNEA - ADAPTED KINESIOLOGY
The Adapted Kinesiology Program at Saddleback College has been serving the disabled adults in the South Orange County community for 31 years. We offer 14 sections of instruction each semester that vary from adapted fitness assessment to adapted outdoor recreation. We had 492 students enrolled in the program during the Spring 2011 with projections of 5-10% growth annually for the foreseeable future.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
The Adapted Kinesiology Program at Saddleback College is in need of your support. We require a minimum of $25,000 per semester to enable the program to serve hundreds of adults with varying ranges of abilities in order to improve their overall wellness. These funds will match state resources and student fees to provide a safe and effectively staffed program. Without the funds, our program will shrink by half, both in terms of course offerings and students served.
KNEA STUDENTS
Our students range from young adults with autism and developmental delays to students who have been living with chronic disabilities like spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and many others. All have needs for regular productive exercise to maintain functional mobility and independence. The problem is that there are few, if any, alternatives in the community for this population to get regular exercise. In many instances, the Adapted Kinesiology Program at Saddleback College offers their only option to meet this need. Our program also serves as a social outlet, attracting students who take public transportation from as far away as Santa Ana.
ADULT TRANSITION PROGRAM
In addition, we partner with local Adult Transition Programs that work with young adults from 18 to 22 years of age in job coaching, behavioral management and independent life skills. Many of these students come with some supervision and in some cases one-on-one helpers that will assist our students in their exercise routines.
KNEA STAFF
The program is fortunate to get assistance for students from a number of personnel. Currently, the program employs one full time faculty and four part-time faculty members. We have 1 part-time office assistant and 8 paid hourly helpers (three of whom are disabled and have been previous participants in the program). Our full-time instructor is a physical therapist and teaches a didactic class at Saddleback called "Intro to Therapy and Rehabilitation." Students in this class participate in lectures that explore different allied health professions, plus they are required to put in 3 hours of lab each week with the adapted kinesiology program on campus. Many of these students go on to pursue advanced degrees in physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
KNEA OUTREACH PROGRAMS
For the past 28 years, we have hosted JAWS - Junior Athletic Wheelchair Sports camps that show a number of children in wheelchair the different opportunities and possibilities for exercise. We annually have a number of participants in the Special Olympics who participate in swimming, track, and many team sport competitions.
CALIFORNIA STATE BUDGET
California State budget cuts have had a particularly negative impact on the budget of community colleges from which we receive our funds. Even with our fee base, our program has been left with a shortfall. We can no longer afford our hourly employees who help ensure that each student has the assistance and supervision they need to participate in their exercise routines. All of our classes have at least 22 students enrolled in each section (we average 35 per section) with a large number of these students requiring assistance. In some circumstances, the assistance is as simple as adjusting the amount of weight a student lifts because they do not have the manual dexterity to do this. In other circumstances, students require one-on-one supervision to make sure they are safe in a gym or aquatic setting.
HOW YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP THE PROGRAM
Increased accessibility for our students with special needs or for those who are disabled;
Updated specialty equipment that would be adaptable to our students, as well as the equipment we currently use must be adequately maintained.
Space is an issue. For example, our stretching class is currently maxed out with no space available on campus, as well as equipment that has to be manually moved in and out of gym for each class session.
Some additional goals for this next school year are:
I. A quarterly electronic NEWSLETTER that will acknowledge accomplishments of students and helpers within the program
II. Develop INTERNSHIP for STUDENT-AIDES in the program to participate at local clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and hospitals.
Your SUPPORT will help pay for all or part of the following:
Hire hourly assistants including lifeguards at the pool. ~ Additional $25,000 annually.
Increase offerings to include weekend courses. ~$10,000 annually
Purchase of new equipment and upkeep of current equipment. ~$10,000 annually
Provide additional funding for JAWS & SPECIAL OLYMPICS. ~$8,000 annually
Subsidize the internship program. ~$1,000 annually
Support the development and distribution of the newsletter. ~$1,000 annually
A Wellness Center, dedicated new space to the KNEA program that would require large capital investment.
Disclaimer: This site may contain links to web sites not administered by Saddleback College or one of its divisions, departments,
units or programs. Saddleback College is not responsible or liable for the accuracy or the content of the linked pages.
Accredited by the
Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges, of the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges