Students of the Queens Centers for Progress (QCP) summer program enjoyed a special carnival Wednesday, August 12, playing games like ring toss and winning prizes including stuffed animals and T-shirts.
Therapists and volunteers at QCP organized the carnival, decorating therapy rooms to look like a real carnival.
Children received raffle tickets and each also received Disney character prizes. Nearly all of the 200 students at the summer school program participated in the carnival.
Games and booths were custom-designed to meet the special needs of these children, whose disabilities range from mild language impairment to severe mental retardation.
Nancy Glass, Director of Children’s Services at QCP, has been running the program for six years.
“The therapists try to make it not only fun, but therapeutic,” said Glass. “Each year we have a different theme. We try to find themes that children can relate to, like “Dora the Explorer” [from Nickelodeon].”
The QCP children’s center accommodates children and adults ranging from newborns to age 21 who have Cerebral Palsy and other developmental disabilities. They provide services including pre-school, various types of therapies, and even a carpenter on staff to build special equipment for physically-handicapped children.
Supervisor of physical therapy, Sylvia Krivickas, has been at QCP for nearly 27 years. She wanted to provide a special day and promote learning for the children. “Many of these children, their families would have difficulty getting them this type of experience,” said Krivickas. “So we decided to start doing this here at the school.”
Volunteer Melissa Rubio has been donating her time to the QCP carnival since she was 10.
“I’ve been here for six years, and every year is something new,” said Rubio. “Giving them [children] this little carnival during the summer really helps make them happy.”
Comment on this story at qns.com.
