The Leader of the Pack

I've been requested to speak more to who I am and what my role is in this project.  I have been an occupational therapist for 10 years serving both children and adults with developmental disabilities.  O.T. is always at the core of my work... thinking through how I can present that just-right challenge of intervention that facilitates outcomes that are functional and meaningful in an individual's daily life. My story runs deep as an O.T. from serving kids in Park Hill School District, to running social programs for the Mission Project, to working as a live-in independent living consultant, to training careproviders of kids with disabilities in orphanages in East Africa. At the heart of my work is always a desire to stay relevant, innovative, and to make an impact wherever I go.  In the last 5 years, one area I have chosen to specialize in is Assistive Technology. I helped start the assistive technology team in my school district and ever since then I have served as an assistive technology specialist, secondary to my primary role as an O.T.,  and I have sought out conferences and trainings in A.T.  I took an intensive professional development course on Occupational Therapy and Assistive Technology as well.  I have been especially engaged in the iPad revolution and I have seen firsthand the impact of this affordable, mobile touch screen device especially in regards to educational practices, functional communication, daily life routines, and writing adaptations.  I love The Mission Project, I am a technology geek, I want to make a difference, and I know what it takes to design and launch a program of this magnitude and significance... so that's why I'm dedicated to this project and especially committed to documenting it on this blog.  Thank you for following along. I hope you learn something from my posts and I really hope to receive feedback from you all.  - Sarah Mai

It takes a village...

This iPad initiative, and specifically the four June trainings, would not be possible without our generous volunteers. We will have a dozen 'tech mentors' dedicating their time and energy to provide one-on-one assistance to help our participants learn their new devices.  It is the presence of these volunteers that makes it possible to differentiate the instruction, under my guidance,  across different levels of learning.  We have participants who are experienced with iPads while we also have those who have minimal experience with any form of technology.  We also have a broad spectrum of cognitive capabilities, which makes this differentiation critical in order to create a meaningful experience for everyone. A special thanks to my colleagues in the Park Hill School District who have supported my work with the Mission Project for years and who believe in this project enough to commute 30-40 minutes to volunteer for each training.  Thank you to ALL of our volunteers! (we'll hopefully post a picture of them soon with their permission)

Launching the Ipad Initiative June 8, 2013

I am excited to announce our Ipad Initiative for The Mission Project.  As a result of attaining two grants, one from the McGowan Fund Program and one from The Westerman Foundation, we are able to launch a program that allows all of our participants to utilize iPads to increase their independence in their daily lives. As an assistive technology specialist and an occupational therapist, it is a dream for me to design and manage this project because I know firsthand how technology can impact the daily functioning of adults and children with disabilities.  Through this project, our participants will not only gain technology skills by learning how to navigate an iPad, but they will learn how to use the iPads to increase their skills in communication, social interaction, community access, health management, organization and scheduling, and daily life skills such as meal planning and grocery shopping.  This project is also a powerful way for our participants to connect with the world around them through learning about people and places on the internet, connecting with others safely through social media, and learning and using communication tools such as email and Skype. Our project launches in June with four consecutive trainings on Saturdays.  Volunteers are being integrated in the project to serve as tech mentors to provide one-on-one support that allows each participant to have a training experience that is just-right for his or her level of learning.  Stay tuned for project details, photos, and  testimonials.