— City of Miami Beach and UM-CARD Partner for 10th Annual Surf Camp —
The University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) is teaming up with the City of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation Department to host the 10th annual spring break surf camp for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on Sunday, March 25 through Friday, March 30, 2018.
Participating children will spend the week focusing on swimming skills, basic oceanography, meteorology, open water surfing and most importantly, their own abilities. The educational component of camp will be held at South Pointe Park, One Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, and the actual surfing component will be held on the beach adjacent to the park.
“We are thrilled to be offering this camp again for the tenth year,” said John Rebar, director of Miami Beach Parks and Recreation. “It’s a great opportunity to build self-esteem, and provides a once in a lifetime experience for many participants.”
Twelve campers, from 8-12 years of age, will participate in this year’s CARD Surf Camp, free of charge; funding is provided by donor support to CARD. This year the Lustbader family will be sponsoring the camper’s meals. For more information on CARD, please call 1.800.9.AUTISM (x1) or visit www.umcard.org.
“Thanks to the support from the City of Miami Beach, we have been able to offer this amazing program to our families right here in our community,” said Dr. Michael Alessandri, executive director of UM-NSU CARD and professor of psychology at the UM College of Arts & Sciences. “Surf Camp is one of our most popular programs, and we are looking forward to seeing those big smiles once again!”
On-site interviews and daily surf camp schedule are available for media upon request. Contact Michelle Costa at mke@miami.edu if interested.
