SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — More than 70 amazing young international educators, therapists, nurses and other care professionals will descend upon San Clemente from all over the USA from May 5 to May 7 to bond, have fun – and learn to surf! These exceptional twenty-something women and men primarily from Germany and Austria are in this country on a special U.S. Department of State J-1 cultural exchange visitor visa to participate in a unique live-in child care solution for families with varying needs.
Referred to as “Apex Care Professionals”, they are all here thanks to Apex Social Group, an organization providing developmental live-in childcare and cultural exchange. These young adults hold degrees in fields such as pediatric nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, early childhood development or special needs education from their home country. Because of their education as well as their heart for children of all abilities, many of the host families who choose to host and employ them have a child with special needs.
“We are grateful to have Sophia on our care team and feel like we won the lottery when she moved in with us,” said Julia Griffiths who lives in San Francisco.” She has employed her training as an occupational therapist to be an active partner with us in identifying new activities and helping us manage positive behavior changes in both children.”
Some of the Apex Care Professionals have never surfed before, so the experience they will have in San Clemente will surely be unforgettable. “I can’t wait to come to San Clemente and learn to surf,” said Enya Bartsch, an occupational therapist from Germany. After spending a year in New Jersey with an Apex host family, learning to surf is like a dream for her. “I’ve only been to the Pacific ocean a few times so this will really be amazing for me, and one more thing to cross off my bucket list!”
Apex Social, based in San Clemente, which sponsors and empowers the young professionals is hosting the 14th Annual Apex Social Surf Outing as a thank you and to provide a meaningful and fun experience for the Apex Care Professionals who work so hard all year with their host children.
San Clemente resident, Susan Asay, Founder and CEO of Apex Social said, “Putting together this event for these incredible young professionals is truly a labor of love. I am so grateful and proud of them, that they are getting outside their comfort zone – once again, when I see the joy in their faces, while watching them catch their first wave and experience my beloved San Clemente, which is also my home of choice.”
Local surf instructors from JP’s San Clemente Surf School will give lessons to the Apex Care Professionals and Pro Surfer Rocky McKinnon of Huntington Beach will provide adaptive surf experience for Apex host children with special needs and different abilities.
Rocky will share his story as pioneer of the first Adaptive Surfing program in Huntington Beach. He continues to push board innovation with the “Chair Board” design, utilized in his Adaptive Surfing Program and other community surfing events. He has partnered with Ride a Wave Foundation, Best Day Foundation, Operation Amped, and many more.
An Apex Social host family from Sherman Oaks was invited to have their daughter Sadie who has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, participate in a McKinnon Adaptive Surf lesson at a previous Apex Social Surf Outing. “Watching Sadie catch her first wave was unforgettable,” said her mom, Stephanie Bohn. “It was a powerful reminder to us that Sadie loves adventure and we should never let her disability get in the way of trying new things. We were grateful to Apex for partnering with us to find amazing Apex Care Professionals for Sadie and for inviting Sadie to be a part of this special experience and cannot wait to try it again this spring.”
It is a special honor, Asay said, to welcome for the first time, representatives from the US Department of State and from the Apex Social partners in Germany, including The Ludewig Fresenius Schulen, IU International University, Hamburg; the Dean of University of Applied Science for Healthcare and Social Science, Zwickau; and the Nursing Manager Association of Germany.
“This German-American exchange brings people together from different backgrounds to learn from each other, and is a great way to contribute to the exchange of knowledge for healthcare and education professionals,” said Asay.
According to Sarah Kodinsky, Executive Vice President at Apex Social, “The excitement for the event this year is palpable. This is the first year we are bringing back the event full-scale since Covid, and we are all so happy and grateful to be able to positively influence so many lives – the lives of the families we serve, and the young Apex Care Professionals who make such a big difference in their lives.”
About Apex Social
Founded in 2008, Apex Social Group is the leading Child Care Provider for families with children of all abilities and all ages – from newborns to young adults. Apex Social is particularly situated to assist families with children who have special needs as our Apex Care Professionals – both from the United States and abroad – have specialized training in fields which include nursing, occupational and physical therapy, and speech therapy. Apex Social offers a boutique-style service experience that reaches beyond the traditional nanny agency service.
To learn more about Apex Social Group, visit apex-social.com and follow Apex Social on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Apex Social Group
