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

Area of Science:

• Public health
• Occupational therapy education
• Civic engagement

Background:

• The American Occupational Therapy Association's Vision 2025 emphasizes addressing public health issues.
• Occupational therapy curricula need to incorporate civic knowledge for students.
• There is a need to enhance students' civic competency and engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a curriculum designed to increase civic competency and engagement in occupational therapy students.
• To present an assessment measuring civic learning over time within the program.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel curriculum for an entry-level occupational therapy program.
• Implementation of the curriculum focused on civic knowledge and engagement.
• Assessment of student civic learning longitudinally.

Main Results:

• The curriculum was successfully implemented in an entry-level occupational therapy program.
• Assessment data indicated changes in civic learning over time (detailed results summarized).
• The model provides a framework for curriculum development.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapy faculty can utilize this curriculum model to enhance student civic competency.
• Graduates will be better prepared to address public health problems in diverse communities.
• The program fosters culturally responsive practice essential for community contexts.