On Saturday, October 27 from 9:45 a.m. till 2 p.m., MossRehab’s outpatient facility in Woodbury, NJ will host “Explore the Magic of Motion,” a program allowing Girl Scouts from Central and South New Jersey to earn badges for learning about the rehabilitation process.

Occurring annually since 2012, this event is curated by former Girl Scout and current MossRehab physical therapist, Jazmine Tooles. Tooles developed the program while she was a student in the University of Delaware’s physical therapy program when the topic of a conference, “the importance of practitioners raising awareness about physical therapy,” struck a chord. Since its inception, the goal of “Explore the Magic of Motion” has been to give scouts the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge about working in occupational and physical therapy. The University of Delaware continues to be involved, providing Tooles with the opportunity to bring the program to locations, like MossRehab.

“My hope is that this program—through raising awareness of what physical therapists do - will help increase diversity and inclusion in the profession,” said Tooles. “It also strengthens the relationships between healthcare and communities. That’s my favorite part, developing connections with so many people invested in the wellness of our communities.”

Since the program’s initiation, over 200 girls and their guardians have taken part in this event. This year, over 20 scouts from Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem and Monmouth counties will learn about stress management (making stress balls), heart health, taking blood pressure, doing appropriate exercises, and activities to simulate patient experiences. Upon completion of the program, scouts will receive one of three badges (depending on age) designed by Tooles to celebrate their achievement.