Iowa LEND Program Creates a Promising Partnership with Upward Bound

September 6, 2012

An innovative partnership between the Iowa LEND (ILEND) program and the University of Iowa Upward Bound Project promises to increase the number and diversity of students who participate in ILEND training activities and go on to pursue careers in developmental disabilities. Through the partnership, ILEND trainees will have the chance to develop their leadership skills as they mentor Upward Bound (UB) students during the academic year, and the UB students will have the opportunity to learn more about the field of developmental disabilities and participate in job shadow activities with ILEND trainees and staff.

This June and July, UB students could be found throughout the Center for Disabilities and Development (CDD), Iowa's UCEDD, observing activities related to patient care in seven different disciplines-Medicine, Audiology, Nursing, Psychology, Social Work, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. 

As part of the University of Iowa Center for Diversity & Enrichment, the Upward Bound Project serves students from low-income families who will become first-generation college students.  The goal of the federally-funded UB Project is to increase graduation rates for these students at the high school and college levels.

Each summer, students who will enter the University of Iowa in the fall have the opportunity to spend eight weeks on campus in the Upward Bound "Bridge" program. In addition to job shadow opportunities, students participate in classes and organize community service projects. This summer, 13 students from the Bridge program-more than half the students in the 2012 class-chose to shadow ILEND staff and trainees at CDD. At the end of their job shadow experiences, students said they would like additional opportunities to do disability-related internships, and the opportunity to work with children. 

Members of the AUCD network who would like to learn more about this partnership or about Iowa's LEND program may get in touch with Sue Pearson, Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator for ILEND, at [email protected], or visit the ILEND website at: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/cdd/ucedd/ilend/index.html

Learn more about the University of Iowa's Upward Bound program at: http://upwardbound.uiowa.edu/The_University_of_Iowa_Upward_Bound_Project/Latest_News/Latest_News.html