Project Description:
The project is a cooperative effort between Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD), the Lincoln Center Boys & Girls Club (B&G Club), and Box Elder School District. Using a modified educational research and development model, curriculum materials are being developed to teach minority/disadvantaged youth about disabilities and careers in disabilities fields. Fifty + students wishing to participate will be identified through the B&G Club and school district. They will be trained through a series of classroom and practicum experiences incorporating opportunities to work with people with disabilities in a variety of inclusive settings. Service learning/citizenship credit, university credit, and a variety of prizes for training completion will be offered as incentives for participation. As a result of the project, students will (1) gain knowledge of disabilities and careers in the disability field, (2) show improved attitudes toward individuals with disabilities, (3) be more likely to plan or consider planning a career in the disabilities field, and (4) express a high level of satisfaction with the training program. Materials developed by the project will allow for replication and be disseminated via a web page, publications, and state and national conference presentations. Thus, the project will have the potential for impacting communities across the nation and beyond. During the July 1, 2003 - May 1, 2004 period, training was provided for several groups of students. An initial group from the Dale Young Community High School and a group from the Lincoln Center Boys & Girls Club participated in field trips and practicum experiences during July and August. Data on these groups indicated that as a result of the complete training experience (1) knowledge about disabilities increased dramatically, (2) attitudes toward people with disabilities improved moderately, (3) plans to work with people with disabilities after completing education increased for a few participants, and (4) satisfaction with the program was high. These data were presented at AUCD's annual meeting and conference at Bethesda, MD in November 2003. Based on experiences with the first two groups, the curriculum, scope, and sequence for the program were revised as were some of the evaluation instruments. A second group from the high school participated in the revised training between August and December. The program has proved so popular at the high school that the principal requested it be repeated in each of the school's trimesters. It will also be repeated in June and July for members of the Boys & Girls Club. Youth from Workforce Incentive Act (WIA) program will also participate in the summer session. The original teacher for the program quit at the end of June. A new teacher was hired who worked through December and then left for another job. A replacement for her was hired at the end of December. An advisory council meeting was held toward the end of December, where preliminary plans were laid for project continuation and dissemination. In January, the project director attended a Boys & Girls Club regional meeting in Portland, OR. This was an opportunity to network and approach regional administrators about the possibility of dissemination through the Boys & Girls Club network. A project webpage was developed that can be accessed at www.disability-careers.org. Finally, articles have been drafted that will appear in two CPD publications, CPD News and Parent News.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
