At Clarkson University, we encourage students with vision to make them a reality. For master’s in occupational therapy student Jenna White, class of ’22, her vision was to do a clinical rotation in Uganda. She volunteered in Uganda as an undergraduate and fell in love with the country and its people.
For her graduate capstone project in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program, Jenna drew from past experiences to create Clarkson’s first International Level II Fieldwork Experience for future OT students through a partnership with Imprint Hope, an organization in Jinja, Uganda.
Imprint Hope provides occupational therapy as well as other medical resources to children with disabilities. They break cultural stigmas surrounding disability, provide parental and community education, and promote independence in the lives of children with disabilities. The organization provides a seven-week onsite program in which children with disabilities receive OT, physical therapy, proper nutrition and medical support. During the stay, Imprint Hope staff provide parents and caregivers with education about their child’s condition, causes of disability, proper hygiene, the child’s rights and parenting techniques to best meet the child’s needs. Jenna’s capstone project was to set up a field work contract with Imprint Hope to allow future OT students at Clarkson University the opportunity to complete one of their Level II placements in Jinja, Uganda.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 border restrictions at the time, Jenna was unable to do the placement herself, however, she expressed that “the experience I gained from my time in Uganda was invaluable and it has been so fulfilling to see two worlds I am passionate about (Uganda and OT/working with children with disabilities) merge together! I am excited to see future students of the Clarkson University occupational therapy program complete their fieldwork at Imprint Hope and hope to one day have the opportunity to visit Imprint Hope myself on one of my future trips visiting Gulu.”
Interested in the field of occupational therapy? Curious about this international fieldwork opportunity? Request more information or apply today! Clarkson’s Graduate Admissions team is here to help. Contact us by emailing graduate@clarkson.edu or call 518-631-9831. For a full list of graduate programs, visit our graduate programs page.