What does a Recreation Programmer do?

Meet Jaime – a Recreation Programmer at Prince Albert Supportive Living. 

Jaime is an absolute ray of sunshine for our staff and our kids. She is a perfect member to our team as she brings so much passion, fun, and love to her position.

The Recreation Programmer role can be a bit misunderstood as you can have varying educational backgrounds to fill it. Whether you have a degree in Kinesiology, ECE diploma, or a Recreational Therapy Diploma, Hope’s Home will train you to perfectly fit the role. Read on as Jaime takes you through even more things you might not know about her and her role at Hope’s Home.

1. Start off by telling us a bit about yourself.

I have been the Recreation Programmer at Supportive Living in Prince Albert since the fall of 2018! Prior to working with Hope’s Home, I worked as a kinesiologist in multidisciplinary clinics both in Halifax and in Moose Jaw. I completed my Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from the University of Lethbridge. I am also a big movement enthusiast and am a spin instructor, group fitness instructor and personal trainer on the side.

2. What’s one thing people might not know about your position?

One thing people may not know is how diverse the Recreation role is at Hope’s Home! Every day comes with its unique challenges and no two days are the same! Not only do we get to research and program new intervention strategies for each of the kiddos, we also are big advocates for inclusiveness in the community where we always look for opportunities to get the children involved. We communicate with supporting professionals such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathologists, and vision rehabilitation (just to name a few); we then take their recommendations and create functional strategies to be implemented in the home and into the children’s daily lives.

3. You get to experience a lot of everyday miracles. What’s one that comes to the top of your mind as the most memorable?

I was fortunate enough to experience a wish trip for two of our children at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Watching the reaction when one of the children met any Disney character was priceless (Buzz lightyear and Minnie Mouse were their favourites!); pure joy and happiness.

Our other kiddo is a daredevil and wanted to ride any and every rollercoaster possible. They made me and another staff ride the fastest one over and over (they are much braver than me!).

4. You have a lot of career options with your Kin degree. What’s made you stay in the non-profit industry, and Hope’s Home specifically?

Prior to Hope’s Home I enjoyed my position but was never left feeling as fulfilled as I do working here. Working here, you get to see the direct impact of what you program, you learn to problem solve on the fly, and best of all you get to play! Hope’s Home is so incredibly special to this community, to the province, and has such an impactful message behind it. I am beyond grateful for each day I get to come into work and play a small part in this amazing organization.

I think having my kinesiology background, as well as experience, gives me a unique perspective into programming for the children. A lot of what we do in Supportive Living is incorporating recommendations from supporting professionals and making it fun and turning it into functional play. Having a deeper understanding of growth & development, and functional anatomy allows me to make sure the kiddos are getting the most out of their activities.

5. How would you describe the culture and atmosphere at Hope’s Home?

Supportive, welcoming, and so so fun. We have amazing staff here who make work not feel like work. From a management perspective, our supervisors are always there to listen and offer constructive feedback and to push our employees to reach their full potential.

6. What’re your long-term goals with Hope’s Home? Either personal, professional, or both.

I am currently pursuing my certified therapeutic recreation designation, which I’m very excited about! Once that is complete it will bring a whole new standard of recreation therapy at our center and hopefully at others as well.

I also love to mentor students and hope to accept many more from the therapeutic recreation program. Within Hope’s Home and the community, I will always continue to advocate for our children but also for this profession and what we can offer to these kiddos care teams.

That’s why there’s no place like Hope. ❤️