1. Advocacy!
Students are the future of this profession, so when you advocate for recreation therapy you are helping to build a stronger foundation for your discipline and career. TR Awareness Month events are great opportunities to share research, models, and principles of recreation therapy with your community, building awareness of our value.
2. Networking!
You meet all sorts of people leading TR Awareness Month events. If you run one at your placement agency, for example, you can network with professionals beyond your immediate circle. You can have business cards ready to give the recreation therapists who will happen upon your booth at the mall. You can chat with a kind stranger who is thinking about applying for a rec therapy program. These events are prime opportunities for meeting new people to network with, both inside and outside of the profession.
3. Practice your elevator pitch!
You will get asked many of the same questions at your event –What is recreation therapy? Who is it for? Why? Lucky for you, this is an amazing opportunity to practice your recreation therapy elevator pitch. Try different phrases. Incorporate different details. Tailor it to the person in front of you. By the end of the event, you will have crafted a pitch that says what you need to say, in a way that works for you. You can download TRO’s Elevator Statements from the 2019 TR Awareness Month Toolkit.
4. Share your passions!
You got into this field for a reason – now’s your time to share. If your Montessori techniques are showing amazing results, bring some sample activities. Show off your amazing Mindfulness program design. Tell people about the benefits clients are getting from your drama program. Your passion and enthusiasm for the field can be infectious, and you’ll get the people at your event excited about recreation therapy, too.
5. Earn Professional Contribution Credits!
It can be tricky as a student to earn those 25 PCC points to apply towards your Registration application. You can collect one point for every three hours you spend promoting the practice of therapeutic recreation, including TR Awareness events!
Click here for tips on hosting your own TR Awareness Month event or activity.