The heart of SOFTIN is educational adventures for special-needs people. To make the most of an opportunity, the planning stages are vitally important. SOFTIN staff works closely with caregivers from family or collaborating agencies bringing the adventure-seekers to us for an excursion.
Some special-needs people have more in the way of special-needs than others. For some, fear of the unknown is a huge obstacle to a rewarding experience and one which requires one-on-one nurturing and comforting throughout the educational adventure. We rely on caregivers to give us the information we need to provide for special-needs and in many cases we rely on caregivers to come along so the passengers can remain within their comfort zone and thereby maximize the benefits of the journey.
Other special-needs people just need opportunities to expand their horizons. They are comfortable boarding a vessel, taking instruction and joining in the learning activities. The important thing is to learn about special needs in advance of the trip and prepare accordingly.
Once our preparations are complete and we have provided for everyone’s needs, we begin the fun part… Teaching enabling life skills and sense of self esteem to challenged special-needs people (including disabled, impaired, victims of abuse, frail elderly, youths-at-risk) though one-on-one, hands-on educational lessons and experiences at sea; practicing marlinspike seamanship; viewing, identification and monitoring of marine mammals and seabirds; demonstrating subsistence/recreational fishing skills focused on the principles of ethical angling; teaching ocean conservation values and water quality issues; learning about the people, infrastructure, vessel types and job/career opportunities among our waterfront communities; monitoring and educating the public and resource managers about sea life and habitat.
SOFTIN invites you to help,
Capt. David Bacon
Executive Director,
SOFTIN
dbacon@softininc.org
www.softininc.org
PS: We do not charge our special needs passengers. Our work is to benefit them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment