The Speech Pathology and Audiology (SPA) program began its seventh year of collaborating with the John Hay High School of Science and Medicine in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) by hosting a Day of Discovery.
This Pathways program is designed for high school students to increase their awareness and knowledge of the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. Lisa Audet, Ph.D. Sloane Burgess, Ph.D., and Mark Krumm, Ph.D., with support from Assistant Dean of Access and Engagement Daniel Nilsson, and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Alicia Crowe, collaborated with CMSD on the development and design of the program.
Twenty-five students from John Hay high school, along with CMSD speech-language pathology mentors and advisors, participated in a day of activities, including:
- panel discussions
- hands-on, lab activities
- video discussions regarding the relationship of communication disorders to neuroscience, technology and mental health
- presentations from the EHHS Office of Diversity, Outreach and Development, and Vacca office, and
- a brief tour of the campus that included lunch.
The program will continue with ongoing mentoring and educational activities for interested John Hay students. It is designed to address the need to increase representation of bilingual professionals from multiple backgrounds into the SPA field. Currently, two John Hay graduates are matriculating as SPA majors at Kent State.