Professor Receives 2023 Marcia Carter Scholarly Manuscript Of The Year Award

Shay Dawson, faculty member in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services Administration, was awarded the 2023 Marcia Carter Scholarly Manuscript of the Year from the National Academy of Recreational Therapists and Sagamore-Venture Publishing. Shay and his team received the award at the American Therapeutic Recreation Association Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, for their paper entitled “Kids B.E.A.R. Pain, A Pediatric Chronic Pain Protocol.”   

The Kids B.E.A.R. (Becoming Energized and Rejuvenated in Pain) Pain Protocol uses a 1-week residential therapeutic camp design embedded with clinically proven techniques in an environment that may be more conducive to improved compliance than a traditional clinic setting. The program design includes a 5-day residential component for adolescent patients with chronic pain, finishing with a 3-day family weekend to inform caregivers of the skills taught and to enhance family functioning. 

The National Academy of Recreational Therapists (NART) is a national academy that pursues activities to support and advance the recreational therapy profession by recognition, education, research, scholarly activity, advocacy, and the provision of advice to decision makers.