The Bridge School sponsors a 3 night, 4 day retreat for BCTAC members and other adults who use AAC. This retreat is a part of The Bridge School’s Outreach Program and seeks to:
The retreat is designed for individuals 18 and older. The activities and events are geared to this adult-aged group.
Attendant support at the retreat:
BCTAC does not provide attendant support at the retreat. Members are required to bring their own attendant for personal care.
Content written by Sam Vranizan
Co-President, BCTAC
Portland, Oregon
This year’s Retreat marked a welcome variation in venue, as we hosted the event at the Sheraton Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf in sunny San Francisco. With a launching pad as central as this, we were able to explore and participate in a variety of activities that San Francisco has to offer. Our Retreat wrangled individuals who use AAC from all over the states – California, Oregon, and even Alaska! The purpose of our Retreat extends beyond playing and exploring the many activities in and around the city. It’s our time where we have four solid days to connect and continue to build our community of friends. For us, it is an opportunity to support every person’s voice and to cherish all of the unique individuals in the group.
The days were full of both business and fun! While some folks decided to wake early and stroll the streets, others would share breakfast together in the master suite. The Suite was spectacular and was BCTAC‘s home base for the large group activities and meetings. From here, we embarked on excursions to places like Alcatraz Island, The Big Ships in the bay, The Exploratorium and Cobb’s Comedy Club where we were witness to the standup act of Jennifer Coolidge from the movie, Legally Blonde.
Central to the BCTAC mission and as part of our outreach efforts, we unleashed our inner Urban Adventurer spirit. We used our talents to create, organize and express our personal experiences through a music video using our interpretation of the song “Animal” by Pearl Jam. Be sure to stay tuned to our Facebook page for our completed video. In it, you’ll see how we took over the beach just below Ghirardelli Square with our all-inclusive Animal Flash Mob. We also shared our personal stories of breaking down barriers through a series of interviews with the community. We all break down barriers in our own ways. For some of us, talking about it gives us courage and makes it easier to do. Our music video represents the spirit of our group – We’re wildly creative!
We also held a BCTAC presidential election and elected our new presidents. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for more information on our elections.
On behalf of the Retreat Committee, we want to thank the BCTAC Crew and The Bridge School Retreat staff for making this year a truly exceptional Retreat. Everyone contributed to making our time together fun and unforgettable. Please consider joining us for our next Retreat! For more information on how to join the Crew for other activities, email bctac@bridgeschool.org
Also, check out BCTAC‘s Facebook for all the Retreat photos.
A very special thanks goes out to Retreat Planning Committee – April Bryant, Patrick Regan, Tyson Renze and Sam Vranizan. You guys worked so hard to organize and collaborate on the activities and all of your hard work contributed to such an amazing Retreat – GO TEAM!
Tike DeMarco
Coordinator, BCTAC
Summer is close and so is the 2013 BCTAC Biennial Retreat. This year, the crew decided to head back to Via West! Whooping it up in the woods this summer will include a lil’ bit of everything and a ton of fun!
In September 2011, the BCTAC crew headed to the woods for their annual retreat! On the agenda was creating ROCK ART to sell at the 2011 Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert. Images of past artists from the concerts, watercolor and brushes, a Bridge School playlist on the iPod, and boom…ROCK ART! Along with that, Club BCTAC was in the house where a few of the crew planned and performed a DJ set for club night. On Sunday, it was all about health, fitness and basketball!
Retreat activities change and evolve based on the input, decisions and goals of the group. Activities may include invited speakers addressing topics of interest, roundtable discussions, presentations by members, and fun day and evening activities to just hang out with friends.
Over the course of the four days, the sequence of activities may include the following:
An adaptive sport or fitness activity is a part of every retreat. Some of the activities may include: yoga, swimming, basketball, soccer, etc.
At each retreat, members hold a business meeting to:
Because relaxing and chilling out is also important to retreat attendees, time is set aside where crew members can head to the sleep lodge for a little rest, do a little audio reading, play video/board games, take a nature hike, socialize, etc.
The location of the retreat may change from year to year based on the group’s agenda and the environments that would best support the planned activities. Ideal locations are:
Previous retreat locations:
Scholarships are available for members and/or an attendant to join the retreat. Application for a scholarship must be submitted to The Bridge School and will be reviewed by a scholarship committee. Scholarships are provided based on the BCTAC member’s:
For more information on schloarships or to apply, contact bctac@bridgeschool.org.
