June 30, 2006
Students with disabilities gather at UW to find success through technology
NOTE: New DO-IT participants and their hometowns are listed at end
More than 50 college-bound high school students with disabilities will gather on the University of Washington campus next month to participate in an annual summer study program designed to give them a technological edge in achieving college and career success.
The DO-IT Scholars Summer Study program begins July 11 for student scholars. During the subsequent 10 days, the nearly 20 students new to the program will learn about challenging careers in fields such as technology, science, engineering and mathematics. The 30 or so returning scholars will stay on campus for one week.
DO-IT, which stands for Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology, is an award-winning program funded by the state of Washington, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education. Other supporters include the Boeing Co., Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Labor.
“DO-IT scholars learn about college life by living in a dorm, getting along with a roommate, participating in academic classes, preparing for challenging careers and having fun,” said Sheryl Burgstahler, founder and director of the program. “Year-round, they communicate via the Internet with their new friends and are mentored by successful adults with disabilities. Year after year, they connect through DO-IT activities and are supported as they transition to college and careers.”
Second-year students continue their preparation for academic programs and careers while mentoring first-year students. They also complete challenging projects during their stay on campus. This year, they will work on Web page design and accessibility, a human-computer interface project, creating accessible science curriculum and writing computer code.
Once selected for the program, the students are loaned computers, software and adaptive technology to use in their homes. The program continues with independent projects and Internet interaction with mentors, teachers and fellow students during the school year.
###
For general information about DO-IT programs and activities, check the Web at http://www.washington.edu/doit, email doit@u.washington.edu or call 206-685-3648 (voice/TTY) or 888-972-3648 (voice/TTY).
For information about photo opportunities, program visits and interviews with students, staff and instructors, contact Scott Bellman at 206-685-6222 or swb3@u.washington.edu
This year’s new scholars, arranged alphabetically by hometown, are:
Jennifer Gibson, Auburn
Maria Corona, Bellevue
Kayla Brown, Bellevue
Noah Seidel, Bellevue
Charles (Tony) Ive, Bothell
Alexandra A. Barger, Burien
Jesus Gonzalez, Burien
Zachary Hagstrom, Camas
Samuel Roe, Everett
Oscar Foster, Fairfield
Daniel English, Friday Harbor
Taylor Lundeen, Issaquah
Jennifer (Jenny) Bass, Kennewick
Daren Dinh, Kent
Kayla Tanaka-Gildow, Kent
Joseph (Joey) Hill, Kirkland
Ryan Bachelor, Oak Harbor
