Second-year occupational therapy students at CSU had the opportunity to apply classroom learning in real-life situations this past semester.
The project, as a part of the Program Assessment and Development course, allowed students to work with local community members to better understand the needs and services provided to their clients. In addition, students had the opportunity to learn how to conduct needs assessments and develop program objectives to enhance current services.
A total of 11 projects were completed by student groups that focused on veteran services, health and wellness, early education, and environmental adaptations. Students gained knowledge from guided studies with their professors, small group work, interviews with key community informants, and researching relevant scholarly evidence.
At the conclusion of the semester, students hosted a poster presentation in the Occupational Therapy Building. Students were excited to see that most community members they had worked with throughout the semester came to view and discuss their work.
“It was really amazing to see the detailed programs that my classmates developed and to feel so supported by our community members,”said Diana Purtz, a student in the course. “I greatly appreciated the amount of time and knowledge that our partner organizations were willing to share with us. It was an informative project!”
Student presenters
The student presenters were:
Michael Bauer, Dawn Deuter, Tina Swearinger, and Kendall Tadych
“SLEEP – Sleep Leads, Encourages, and Expands Participation”
Emily Clemons, Katie Delaney, Andrew Flint, and Nicole Pielage
“Occupational Therapy is THERE: Transitioning to Higher Education-Realizing Excellence”
Maria Marquez, Danielle Namour, Jessica Peters, and Erica Severino
“Child Trauma and Resilience Assessment Center Proposal”
Rae Berent, Sarah Busselman, Ashley Montijo, and Lexi Provancha
“SERVE: Sleep Education and Resources for Vietnam Veterans”
Katie Bruegger, Talia Flint, Stephanie Hornback, and Trystan Roberts
“Proposal: Repurposing the Dr. Wanda Mayberry Student Lounge”
Christina Panasci, Leeya Schulz, Sydney Smiley, and Sarah Thompson
“CHANGES: Control chronic Health Ailments Now by Generating Efficacy in Students”
Jessie Alexander, Jordan Golter, Becky Ingman, and Katie Townsend
“PECDOT: Promoting Early Childhood Development through Occupational Therapy”
Caitlin Baker, Jessica Foster, Diana Purtz, and Megan Roney
“WISE-VET: Webinar Intervention for Sleep Empowerment for Veterans”
Abby Newby, Amarelise Jeffers-Makropoulos, Jason Terry, and Kristin Turner
“Steps to Sleep (S2S): Stepped-Care Model for Student Veterans with Insomnia”
Kendra Johnson, Sunny Karges, Stacy Langton, Monica Maquignaz, Anna McHugh, and Melanie Wheeler
“The Wise OWLSS Program: Increasing Knowledge and Experience in the Occupations of Work, Leisure, and Social Skills”
Melissa Callaghan, Harley Horner, Susanna Morgan, Whitney Morin, Jessica Smith, and Alexa Woods
“Tools for Promotion of OT in the ED: T-POT”
See more photos on the OT Facebook page.
