Written by J. Doell
Happy December everybody!
It’s Jayda Doell here, I am a student at the University of Manitoba working towards my Bachelor of Kinesiology. I pursued kinesiology because of a love for sports and an interest in the ways exercise can be used in a preventive and rehabilitative manner. I have had the fantastic opportunity of completing my fieldwork experience here at U-Turn Parkinson’s for the last three months.
Before my fieldwork experience, I had little knowledge of what U-Turn Parkinson’s was or what they offered. After hearing about them in February 2024 at a career symposium, I was able to learn a valuable amount of information on their website, through conversation with my university professor, and connecting with the U-Turn Parkinson’s Program Manager and Executive Director in an interview process related to fieldwork. After receiving my placement with U-Turn I began my practicum in September 2024!
To give you a bit of a picture of what my practicum looked like I will describe what a typical day was. I would usually arrive thirty minutes before the first class of the day. This allowed me time to help coaches and volunteers set up for the class and review any new exercises or activities. It also gave me the opportunity to greet and chat with people on their way into their classes, which was one of the best parts. In regards to classes, I often joined in! In class I usually fit into the position of a volunteer, helping individuals find the right weights, showing seated exercise modifications, being on hand pads, or helping with form. This gave me plenty of time to get a good understanding of how different coaches ran their classes and I was able to take pieces from them all when I was able to run my own. Throughout my practicum I received training on running volunteer orientations and assessment training so when the opportunities arose I was often involved in these processes as well. When classes finished I often helped with the clean up and again loved chatting with people on their way out. After classes were done for the day I typically went home to work for the remaining hours. This looked like completing different admin tasks, newsletter writing, creating volunteer training manuals and more. I really enjoyed the flexible nature of my placement, being in person gave me multiple opportunities to work with people and try new things and having some online work provided me with a schedule that was very appealing.
When thinking about how this experience has impacted my education I would definitely say that it has benefitted me. I have had many classes involving different types of theory and lab work which has been very helpful but at U-Turn I was able to actually apply some of the knowledge I have been learning throughout my classes in a real life context, which was really cool to see! Another reason it has been beneficial is because of the things I have learnt that are hard to learn in a classroom setting, like how to properly cue in a fitness class, using a gym/projecting voice, different safety protocols like helping someone up from a fall, and bettering my time management, organizational, and communication skills. This brings me into one of the many big takeaways from doing my practicum at U-Turn Parkinson’s, which is the importance of communication. I know that may sound basic but through my time here I have seen many different changes and transitions within U-Turn Parkinson’s itself and have seen the benefit that great communication can have between a team and between a staff and their participants. It is so important for everyone to be on the same page about what is happening and why, so now I have a greater understanding of how it can be done effectively.
When thinking about U-Turn Parkinson’s and their welcoming, fun, community environment, I think that the type of people that would love volunteering or doing their practicum here have to enjoy physical activity, have genuine care for people, and be willing to bring a positive quality into classes. People who are willing to learn about the goals U-Turn has and join in on their passion for improving the lives of people living with PD will do fantastic and learn a lot along the way.
Three Tips for future volunteers or practicum students:
- Be ready to work hard and have fun in classes!
- Remembering names is not always easy, but it is a way to have a greater sense of community, so don’t be afraid to ask!
- Ask lots of questions! It’s your experience so dive in and make the most of it!
I want to say a big thank you to the U-Turn Parkinson’s team, Jordana, Lance, Tim and all the coaches for taking me on as a part of the team and making my time here great! Another thank you to all the participants for taking me in with open arms and having patience as I got settled in! It has been great getting to know you all! Overall, my practicum has been a fantastic learning experience and a lot of fun!
Have a great holiday season!
Jayda,
Have a question? Contact us at:
Phone: 204-510-4869
Email: info@uturnpd.org