Last month I wrote about the review process of proposals submitted to ASHA for the Multicultural Activities for 2003-04. The following are the winners. Congratulations to the grantees, their proposals were excellent and definitely have promise for positive benefits to the profession and our clients.
I am impressed with the diversity in focus that these grantees proposed. The first is for a new course developed for Native Americans in Minnesota. This one is building a foundation for a new career path for Native American students at a community college. The second one is developing a statewide network for clinicians to help each other with the assessment and intervention needs of second language learners. This particular award is impressive because it meets the criteria of developing a model that can be replicated by other state associations. The third grantee proposes to meet the needs of children who are developing literacy and helping clinicians to meet the literacy skills of children learning a second language.
As you read these brief summaries, I hope they give you ideas about what you can propose next year for ASHA's Multicultural Activities Grants. Even better, next year contact these awardees for information on the outcomes of these grants so that you can replicate these in your home state. HK
A Multicultural Union: Minnesota State University, Moorhead and the Tribal College at Mahnomen
Project Director: Richard K. Adler, Minnesota State University,
Moorhead
Project Objectives:
- To produce a color brochure on careers in speech language pathology and audiology including ASHA as well as a brochure on the Speech Language Pathology/Pre-Audiology program at MSUM.
- To offer a course entitled Introduction to Communication Disorders
- To set up a student/faulty mentoring program with Native American/Alaskan Native students at the Tribal College in Mahnomen, MN that will help the student understand the field of SLP/Aud. understand careers in SLP/AUD and to set up observations sessions so that the student can directly observe diagnostics and therapy.
- To pay for the costs of tuition, books and mileage to Native American/Alaskan Native students for the introductory course listed above.
- To offer stipend and mileage for a faculty member to drive to the Tribal College so the course could be offered in that campus.
Clinical Decision Making with Linguistically Diverse Learners: A Statewide Professional Training Model
Project Directors: Kathryn Kohnert & Leslie Glaze, University
of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Project Outcomes:
- Increasing the effectiveness of speech-language pathology services available to linguistically diverse learners and their families throughout the state.
- Devising a mentoring network of local expert trainees with advanced knowledge and skills in assessing and treating learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. This model is intended to be replicable by any state, using live workshops and an online mentoring network.
- Establishing and delivering a curriculum of educational materials that support increasing demands for clinical competencies in assessing and treating linguistically diverse learners. These include core reference guides as well as those developed specifically for the workshop and case study grand rounds that evolve during threaded statewide internet discussions.
Prevention and Early Literacy: A screening Program for English Language Learners with Language Impairment
Project Director: Claudia Dunaway, San Diego Unified School District
- To encourage literacy development in Spanish-speaking kindergarten English Language Learners with LI, and
- to promote the SLP's role in addressing children's literacy needs.
