Integrating Technology to Increase Student Interns’ Health, Fitness, and Personal Responsibilities

In this webinar, we will share our success utilizing technology to improve student interns’ health, stamina, and independence. During our first year of our Project SEARCH program we have incorporated 6 Chromebooks, 2 iPads, and Fitbits for every intern. We will demonstrate how we created Google Accounts for each intern so they have access to their own G Suites to create an email address and Google Drive where they create resumes, letters, upload photos, create presentations, and share documents that they will have access to throughout their adult lives. We will also demonstrate how we utilize Google Drive to create a shared Project SEARCH Steering committee folder so all members can collaborate and have access to documents and resources at all times. We will also share how we incorporated Fitbits into daily lessons in combination with Health Matters: The Exercise and Nutrition Health Education Curriculum for People with Developmental Disabilities. Interns record all food and water consumed during the day, plus their daily activity is tracked by logging active minutes throughout the day, calories burned, total steps, and miles traveled during the day. Project SEARCH instructor is able to make connections with intern Fitbit data and Health Matters curriculum for student interns to learn the importance of nutrition and physical activity. We were also able to identify how the Fitbit can be used to make adaptations for the Interns to improve time on task and their time management skills. With the access to two iPads we incorporated a time in and time out app that student interns utilize to sign in and out for their internship rotations and for their lunch breaks. This data is incorporated into real life math lessons.

CEUs: There will be no CEUs provided for this presentation.

PRESENTERS

Mason Messinger, Project SEARCH Instructor, Kalahari Resort, Pocono Manor, PA.

Dawn Diagnault, Director of Career Options and Opportunities, Human Resources Inc., Effort, PA. Dawn is the Director of Career Options and Development at the Human Resources Center, Inc. where she has been assisting individuals with disabilities in their employment goals for almost 14 years. Ms. Daignault holds a Bachelor’s degree in Disability studies from CUNY as well as an Associate’s degree in social work. She is a member of the steering committee for the Project SEARCH-Kalahari, Poconos site and serves as the supervisor of the provider agency staff.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

These webinars are hosted by the HealthMatters ProgramTM in partnership with Project SEARCH® and funded by The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Developmental Disabilities and Health (RRTCDD). The RRTCDD is funded through United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), Grant # 90RT5020-01-00, and a grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.