Kudos: College program ranks No. 5 in Niche rankings; CSSE students, faculty participate in Camp SPEAK
College program ranks No. 5 in Niche rankings
The Mary Frances Early College of Education ranked No. 5 in Best Colleges for Sports Management in America in newly released rankings from Niche.
The University of Georgia ranked No. 9 among Top Public Universities in the U.S., according to the list.
Read the full story in UGA Today.
CSSE students, faculty participate in Camp SPEAK
Students and faculty from the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education went to Rutledge, Georgia, over Labor Day weekend to provide a weekend overnight camp experience for children who use augmentative communication.
Camp SPEAK was founded in 2019 by an interdisciplinary and interagency team including faculty Laura Nichols and Rachel Cagliani along with professionals at the Center for Rare and Neurological Diseases, Georgia State University, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. SPEAK stands for:
- Students: Graduate students getting their master’s degree in speech pathology receive invaluable experience and supervision from some of the best therapists in the state
- Parents: Have opportunities to build friendships and receive education to better support their children’s use of their communication device
- Education: Vendors and specialists provide direct and group education throughout
- Access: Camp Twin Lakes is fully accessible so children can participate in fully adapted activities, such as switch adapted archery or zip lining in a wheelchair
- Kids: Children receive a true camping experience while having fun, building friendships, and learning to communicate
This year, 25 families came from across the country, including Georgia, Alabama, California, Texas, Idaho, and Massachusetts. Campers and their families participated in traditional camp activities, including rock climbing, archery, zip lining, arts and crafts, swimming, canoeing, paddle boating, and drumming, while graduate students under faculty supervision supported campers with improving their communication.
Under the direction of Nichols, Cagliani, and clinical assistant professor Ainsley Vergara, communication sciences and disorders students collaborated with students in the applied behavior analysis master’s program to support campers and make a lasting impact on the campers and their family’s lives.