Achievement

Our IGERT trainees are required to participate in one semester of service learning (community embeddedness) to augment their academic knowledge in disability research with intensive practical experience. The training activities, identified in collaboration with community partners, are intended to provide trainees with a deeper understanding of the lives and learning of people with disabilities. In this reporting period, the structure of this service learning component was formalized: each student designs a structured service learning internship contract for a semester-long interaction with a chosen community partner, which comprises 3 credit hours of research by way of an independent study with their advisor(s). Three trainees will engage in service learning internships beginning in May 2013 at Ohio State University Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Community Inclusion and Diversity with Judith Snow, Toronto, Ontario; and Southwest Human Development, Phoenix, Arizona.