Announcements

Greater Good of a Service Component

19 May 2016

Throwing wadded up balls of paper is not typically condoned in the classroom, but that was the main objective of a game played by a group of local middle school students in the PTA Lab on March 23. The game, called “snowball,” linked to an educational lesson on nutrition given by second-year PTA students Kelsey Swanson and Heidi Teahon.

The activity was part of a service component attached to the PTA 212 Professional Issues course. Students enrolled in this course have the opportunity to select an exercise- or nutrition-related subject and then develop an activity that educates seventh- and eighth-graders who are a part of the Lewis & Clark Middle School Trailblazers Afterschool Program (TAP). The Clarkson College PTA program began working with TAP four years ago through a partnership with the Nothing But Net Foundation, which funds afterschool programs such as TAP with the goal of improving student learning, school attendance and school performance.

New this year, PTA 212 instructors Karen Abboud and Kelly Jackson incorporated a section to the course that enables their students to also interact with an older population. Nearly every Friday during the spring semester, two to three PTA students have provided free balance assessments and physical therapy education through UNMC’s “EngAge Wellness,” a program designed for adults 55 years of age and older who have a chronic condition.

Working with such diverse demographic segments and having the ability to apply various aspects of their acquired technical and didactic skills helps prepare the second-year PTA students for their final clinical rotations. “It brings together information taught throughout the program as well as introduces new information important to the entry level clinician, such as job skills, application processes, interview techniques and roles and responsibilities as a professional,” Jackson said.

The PTA program’s involvement in community-centered activities and programs extends far beyond its partnerships with Lewis & Clark Middle School and UNMC’s EngAge Wellness program. “Service was introduced as a very important component to the PTA program with the help of [former PTA Program Director] Dr. Andreia Nebel,” Jackson said. “It was her love for helping others outside of the classroom and the clinic that made the PTA 212 course what it is today.”

Abboud, Jackson and all of the current PTA faculty continue to instill the value of giving back in their course curricula. “Our hope is that students see that their career goes beyond treating injuries of patients,” said Jackson. “Their knowledge and experience can be used for the better good of the community.”

Greater Good of a Service Component

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