The Ohio State University

2001 OSU CARES Seed Grants

School Services Integration & After School Summer Program

The School Services Integration and After School Summer Program was the ongoing planning and implementation effort of the OSU P-12 Initiative's subcommittees charged with school services integration and after-school and summer programming in the Neighborhood Schools.  Outcomes and tangibles associated with two subcommittees' planning efforts included: (1) Establishment of university-school-community partnerships among OSU and Columbus; (2) Involvement of Public School District, local health and social service agencies, and neighbors through on-going, monthly planning efforts of the two Subcommittees; (3) Assessment of the current after-school and summer programming in the University District Neighborhoods; (4) Assessment of the availability and coherence of health and human services provision in the University District Neighborhoods; (5) Collection of preliminary data evidence that can substantiate a larger, more comprehensive intervention research project; (6) Exploration of funding streams, including human resource potential, to support ongoing efforts in the University District Neighborhoods; (7) Implementation of a one-day Best Practices Seminar that highlights existing "cutting edge" university-school-community partnerships in extended day learning and collaboration programming; and (8) Development of a clear action plan for coherent, collaborative and sustainable school services integration and university-assisted after-school and summer programs in the Neighborhood Schools. 

The grant was submitted by Dawn Anderson-Butcher., College of Social Work; Michael Casto, Interprofessional Commission of Ohio; Daryl Siedentop, P-12 Initiative and Nancy Rogers, College of Law

Breaking the Language Barrier

At the time of this grant, 65% or greater of the Ohio nursery industry workforce was composed of Hispanic employees with little English comprehension, with Spanish as their primary language.  This project first involved efforts to deliver translated technical information to this audience via a newsletter and a questionnaire to determine the foremost technical topic interests.  After the first mailing, Dr. Hannah Mathers, Francisco Espinoza, and students from Terrell Morgan's Spanish in Ohio winter and summer classes, on a volunteer basis, started conducting on-site visits with Hispanic employees and their English supervisors to expose them to the newsletter, a website, and other planned educational programs.  Feedback about the website and newsletter was obtained, as well as information about technical topics of interest to Ohio green industry employees. Five other newsletter editions, one in the spring, one during the summer, two during the fall of 2001 and one in the winter of 2002 were posted to the BYG on-line website. Two Spanish bus tours of nursery industry locations were also conducted in August to help Hispanic employees learn more about the industry as a whole, including new innovations and current practices. The bus tours were lead by Drs. Mathers and Quigley. Dr. Mathers conducted producer site tours and Dr. Quigley led dealer site tours. Francisco Espinoza, Dr. Morgan, and OSU students from Dr. Morgan's Spanish in Ohio class (on a volunteer basis) provided interpretation services. Evaluations of the newsletter and website via on-site visits, bus tours and questionnaires with the newsletter were analyzed and tabulated, and a report written in April 2002.  The results of the project were also reviewed with producers at a program utilizing the three OSU Learning Centers in February 2002. See http://basicgreen.osu.edu/.

The grant was submitted by Hannah Mathers, Horticulture & Crop Science; Terrell Morgan, Spanish & Portuguese; Bernard Erven, Agricultural, Environmental & Development Economics; Tim Rhodus, Horticulture & Crop Science; James Chatfield, OSU Extension and Martin Quigley, Horticulture & Crop Science

Center for Health Information

Recognizing that most health information is written at a tenth grade level or above, the Center for Health Information at The Ohio State University Medical Center intended to develop an Outreach program targeting individuals in the greater Columbus community with low literacy and limited English skills.  For this pilot project, the goal was to serve as a health information resource clearinghouse to community agencies in Columbus and OSU Extension professionals in Franklin County, which serve at-risk individuals. This service could then be extended to other Ohio counties. Program coordinators, with the assistance of trained personnel, identified, located, evaluated, obtained and developed when necessary, credible health information resources which were both culturally and linguistically appropriate, accurate, and written for individuals with low literacy skills. The clearinghouse physically provided health information resources to the community agencies when appropriate, or assisted the agency in identifying and acquiring the materials independently (i.e. pointing to web sites, providing the name and address of pamphlet publishers, etc.). OSU Extension provided many education programs targeted to at-risk populations. Access to low-literacy and culturally sensitive health information to be used in these established education programs helped consumers make well-informed, healthy decisions. Specifically, over ten Extension professionals in the Franklin County office could integrate the information into their programs. See http://oncampus.osu.edu/v30n16/thisissue_7.html for an onCampus article on the Center.

The grant was submitted by Diane Moyer, OSU Medical Center; Becky Mehling, OSU Medical Center; Susan Scritchfield, The James Cancer Hospital; Jean Just, The James Cancer Hospital; Sarah Murphy, University Hospitals; Sereana Dresbach, OSU Extension; Mary Jo Welker, University Hospitals and Mary Sprague, University Libraries

Community Education of Aging in Place: The Promotion of Universal Design

During the 20th century, life expectancy for humans increased at an unprecedented rate. With seniors living longer than ever before, an emerging issue became where and how does the older adult population live? A majority of seniors preferred to "age in place" by living in their homes or apartments indefinitely. In fact, 95% of adults over the age of 65 lived independently in their communities (Atchley, 2000). Unfortunately, with enhanced life expectancy comes an increased likelihood of chronic health conditions. The reality of most chronic conditions (i.e. arthritis, Parkinson's, heart disease, diabetes), is impairment of mobility strength, balance, vision, and/or hearing. In order for seniors to age in place successfully, greater effort must be made to educate seniors and their families about Universal Design and possible home modifications that will enable their continued independence.

Universal Design is a worldwide movement based on the concept that products and environments can be designed to consider the needs of the widest possible array of users. By applying Universal Design techniques, interior features such as flooring, lighting, stairways, and appliances can be built to maximize safety and independence for those with physical limitations. Further, existing structures can be modified to enable persons with physical limitations to continue living at home. Older adults and their families often lack the knowledge, skills and resources to complete home modifications which enable aging in place. Additionally, builders and contractors serving the public are often not informed on Universal Design concepts and home modification techniques. Because educational resources and products related to these topics are not readily available to the public (i.e. not available in standard retail stores), there is a need to disseminate Universal Design and home modification information to seniors, their families, and building professionals.

The goal of this project was to provide community education about the principles of Universal Design and home modification that would enable senior Ohioans to successfully "age in place."  The project used a Service Learning course titled "Aging in Place: Seniors and Universal Design." Combined with a training component of the project were the community partnerships with Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and the implementation of a retail marketing strategy that promoted home modification products. See http://ehe.osu.edu/ud/index.htm for more on the project.

The grant was submitted by Susan Zavotka, Consumer and Textile Sciences; Christine Price, Human Development and Family Science; Margaret Teaford, Occupational Therapy; Janet Hoffman, Ohio Department of Aging; Barbara James, OSU Extension; Pat Holmes, OSU Extension; Becky Bell, OSU Extension; Sharon Seiling, Consumer and Textile Sciences and Andrea Bowlin, Human Ecology

Deaf Write OSU

The Ohio State University Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing (CSTW) proposed to sponsor Project Deaf Write: OSU CSHC On-Line Literacy Partnership, which electronically linked students in The Ohio State University English courses with students participating in Columbus Speech and Hearing Center (CSHC), R.E.A.D. instruction. R.E.A.D. instruction, specially designed for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing adults, was offered at CSHC's E. North Broadway site as well as to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing employees at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), a federal government facility on Columbus' east side.

English reading and writing classes involved both OSU and CSHC students. In the first partnership, undergraduate and graduate students in OSU's English H167, "First-Year Writing Seminar in Humanities" and English 881.02, "Teaching Basic Writing," exchanged electronic messages with students enrolled in general topics R.E.A.D. instruction at CSHC. These electronic writing partners wrote each other on a variety of reading and writing issues and practices, completing joint assignments and getting feedback from each other on writing projects, etc. This exchange gave the CSHC students practice with an authentic audience and provided a venue for discussion between CSHC and OSU students about writing and the success and/or difficulties of electronic communications. The second partnership paired students in OSU's English 405, "Introduction Technical Writing and Editing for Students in the Humanities" with CSHC students in the R.E.A.D. class consisting of DFAS employees.  These students exchanged electronic messages on business writing topics in particular, providing real world practice in sending e-mail memos, letters, reports and other business documents to each other.

Both partnerships made use of e-mail and CowTown MOO, a virtual meeting space sponsored by the College of Humanities accessed via the Internet that allows real-time interaction among users. Since the late 1980's, similar on-line environments have been adapted for the use of academic, professional, and social groups. Ann Parsons of GrassRoots, a MOO sponsored by the Enabling Support Foundation, argued that such real-time interaction is particularly important for people with disabilities because it "breaks down these barriers of isolation and allows those behind walls to experience community." E-mail and the MOO offered complimentary on-line writing spaces to students with speech and hearing difficulties.  The MOO provided a written medium for real-time discussion and interaction, while e-mail provided space for more extended writing and more time for reflection between exchanges. See http://digitalunion.osu.edu/r2/summer06/kmetz/events/deafwrite.html.

The grant was submitted by Mindy Wright, English; Sue Brooks, OSU Extension; Brenda Brueggermann, English; William Cole, Humanities; Lewis Ulman, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing; Gail Whitelaw, Speech and Hearing and Carolyn Wulfhorst, Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing

Expansion of Body Image and Health Education for OSU

The 2000-2001 project of the Body Image and Health Task Force at The Ohio State University was two fold: 1) to update an existing website and create new, interactive computer software that can be utilized by Ohioans for educational programs on body image/eating disorders (compilation video, interactive CD-rom), and 2) to increase the number of resources and educational materials on body image (books, videos, brochures, tri-fold boards) needed to implement programs for the University and broader community to utilize. 

The grant was submitted by Debbie Heiman, Athletics; Nancy Rudd, Consumer and Textile Sciences; Judith Cusin, Counseling and Consultation Services

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