At Notre Dame College 25 children with special needs will learn to ride conventional bicycles during the College’s sixth annual iCan Bike summer camp June 10-14.
WHO: iCan Bike, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, in partnership with Notre Dame College.
WHAT: The iCan Bike, An Achievement Center for Children Camp, program coordinated by iCan Shine, Inc., is a five-day camp for children with disabilities that provides each participant approximately one hour and fifteen minutes of instruction each day using a series of adapted bikes and techniques. At the end of the camp, typically more than 80 percent of campers can successfully ride a conventional bike.
WHEN: Monday, June 10, through Friday, June 14, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Lunch break is from 1-2 p.m.) The best photo opportunities are on Wednesday and Thursday when the students advance to riding on two wheels.
WHERE: Notre Dame College, Joseph Keller Center, 4545 College Road, South Euclid, Ohio. Enter campus from South Green Road, between Mayfield and Cedar roads.
WHY: People with mental and physical disabilities typically have a more difficult time learning to ride a bike compared to their peers. The camp helps increase self-confidence and improves quality of life through physical activity, inclusion with able-bodied peers and the ability to participate in a fun family activity.
CONTACT: Rob Fellinger, camp director, at 216.410.3007 or robfellinger@yahoo.com.
BACKGROUND
This year, students who range in age from 8 to 27 and whose disabilities include cerebral policy, Down syndrome, autism and ADHD, among others, will become self-sufficient on two-wheelers within one week during the program at the College.
Notre Dame not only hosts and sponsors this only camp of its kind in the Cleveland area but also is one of the most successful of programs like it in the country. While nationally, about 80 percent of campers successfully can ride conventional bicycles at the end of the program, nearly 90 percent successfully complete the Notre Dame program.
The higher-than-average success rate for the Notre Dame camp is attributable to the dedicated group of volunteers who help out year after year. The College recruits volunteers who display a positive attitude and are ready and willing to help the participants in any way they can.
The College provides many of the more than 50 volunteers who teach the youth with special needs the “lose the training wheels” techniques. A large number of those serving are staff members, student-athletes and coaches.
Each camper trains for 75-minutes, five days a week, with the same volunteer weeklong. The youth generally begin riding conventional two-wheelers in the third and fourth sessions of the camp.
According to iCan Shine, more than 80 percent of those with Autism and 90 percent with Down syndrome never learn how to ride two-wheelers.
For more information about the Notre Dame camp, contact Rob Fellinger at 216.410.3007 or robfellinger@yahoo.com.
May 2019
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact Brian Johnston, chief communications officer, at 216.373.5252 or bjohnston@ndc.edu.