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UPLink: Urban Partners Linking Personnel Preparation and Practice for Young Children With Low-Incidence Disabilities

Overview
This model interdisciplinary education project addresses the need to (a) increase the number and quality of personnel serving young children (0-5) with low-incidence disabilities and their families in diverse settings; (b) build strong university-community partnerships for the preparation of qualified personnel in urban environments; and (c) increase the number of professionals from traditional underrepresented groups to serve children with low-incidence disabilities and their families. The training component of the program provides for teacher licensure for 16 graduate students yearly (for 5 years) in early childhood special education with specialized training in severe disabilities and interdisciplinary work with early childhood educators and related services personnel. In addition, the program provides for a 10-credit interdisciplinary specialization certificate in early intervention and disabilities for 12 graduate students yearly from early childhood, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, and social work. (Funded by the U.S Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.)

Major Activities

• Enhance recruitment of well-qualified students, faculty, and staff from traditionally underrepresented groups and retain graduates by providing the opportunity for a post-graduate mentorship
• Build strong university-community partnerships for the preparation of qualified students in urban environments
• Develop and provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary program with specialty components in early intervention and low-incidence disabilities
• Develop and implement a collaborative, community-based fieldwork experience that places trainees on interdisciplinary teams in infant, preschool, and urban community settings
• Provide the parent(s) of a young child with a low-incidence disability with the opportunity to mentor a student in the program for one full year (family mentorship experience)
• Develop case-based instructional tapes and course vignettes on low-incidence disabilities relevant to the 0-5 population and suitable for delivery through web-based instruction
• Disseminate project content, information, and materials to faculty of Virginia's higher education institutions and others involved in the preparation of personnel serving young children with low-incidence disabilities
• Conduct systematic evaluation to monitor project implementation, objectives, and outcomes

Project Staff
Ann Cox, Co-Director
Evelyn Reed-Victor, Co-Director
Belinda Hooper, Project Coordinator

Contact
Ann Cox at (804) 828-8244, acox@mail2.vcu.edu
Evelyn Reed-Victor at (804) 828-1305, ereedvic@mail1.vcu.edu
Belinda Hooper at (804) 828-1305, bbhooper@vcu.edu