Meeting Vision 2025: Enhancing Civic Competency, Attitudes, and Engagement Among Occupational Therapy Students

Abstract

The American Occupational Therapy Association’s Vision 2025 (2017) challenges the occupational therapy profession to understand and address public health problems impacting communities. In response to this call to action, educators must design curricula that helps occupational therapy students build upon foundational civic knowledge. Faculty in an entry-level occupational therapy program created a curriculum to increase students’ civic competency and engagement. This article provides a thorough description of this curriculum and a summary of an assessment to measure civic learning over time. Occupational therapy faculty may use this model to better prepare students to provide culturally responsive services to clients across diverse community contexts.

Keywords:

• Civic attitudes
• civic competency
• civic engagement
• curriculum design
• occupational therapy education

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Meghan G. Blaskowitz

Meghan G. Blaskowitz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her doctorate in Public Health from SUNY Albany. Dr. Blaskowitz’s scholarly agenda aims to improve quality of life and health disparities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Amy M. Mattila

Amy M. Mattila is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Ph.D. in Instructional Management and Leadership at Robert Morris University. Dr. Mattila’s scholarly agenda has focused around best practices in education and psychosocial practice in occupational therapy.

Ann E. Stuart

Ann E. Stuart is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her OTD from Chatham University. She coordinates community-engaged learning experiences for students across three semesters. Her scholarly agenda includes student development through community-engaged learning and fostering legislative advocacy.

Ann B. Cook

Ann B. Cook is a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) Coordinator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her OTD from Chatham University. Her scholarly agenda is focused on the impact of clinical and community-engaged learning experiences on student growth.