Geneseo Educator Brings Snorkeling and Conservation to XLH Camp

Three white people standing in a pool with windows along the back. There is a young woman and two middle aged men.

School of Education News

News article created by the School of Education.

This summer, campers slipped on fins, explored how snorkelers can help protect aquatic environments, and even posed for mermaid photos to share with their families. For his second summer at The Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, Kentucky, SUNY Geneseo School of Education professor Dr. Peter Kalenda returned to volunteer alongside his husband, Dr. Logan Rath ‘05, a Geneseo alumnus. Together, they served as volunteers by offering a snorkeling program for children with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) and other rare bone diseases. The Center for Courageous Kids tailors its weeklong summer sessions to campers with specific medical conditions, giving children a chance to enjoy activities designed around their needs and build friendships with peers who share similar experiences. Rare Bone Disease week is sponsored by The XLH Network. Rochester-area dive shop, RU4Scuba, also served as a sponsor for these snorkeling and mermaid classes.

A digitally illustrated image of two people diving that says "Aqua Team SSI Explorers"

Campers received their own copies of the SSI Explorers manual, an interactive workbook with badge system created by Scuba Schools International, and used this curriculum to connect their curiosity about aquatic life with conservation through SSI’s Blue Oceans Initiative. Returning snorkelers could try a new challenge in a mermaid/monofin class, where they learned to snorkel with a monofin, a single fin worn on both feet. Some campers also brought the experience ashore for a mermaid photo shoot.

XLH Campers engaging in a mermaid photo shoot by the camp pond. There is a young girl in a green mermaid tail and a young boy holding the tail in the air.

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For Kalenda, XLH camp is a chance to keep teaching STEM to PreK–12 learners while sharing his love of diving and supporting children with disabilities. Rath, who has XLH, draws on his own experience as a diver with a disability to show campers how he adapts techniques and to help them explore what works for their bodies. With room to try a different way of moving through the water, campers can build skills and discover new ways to enjoy it.

Both Kalenda and Rath are certified snorkel and scuba diving instructors with Scuba School International. Kalenda is also a certified freediving instructor. Kalenda brings his freediving skills to SUNY Geneseo in a course called H&PE 220: Freediving Skills for Marine Research where students learn both freediving skills and data collection techniques before engaging in a study abroad course to The Bahamas.