DO-IT NEWS

The DO-IT Network

This spring the DO-IT family gathered for an evening of networking. Participants in all of DO-IT's programs were invited to join us in Seattle and Pasco. The turnout was fabulous. We saw the video debut of profiles of DO-IT Scholars Maria, Nate, Mack, Alexandra, and Heidi. You can view them online at www.washington.edu/doit/videos/index.php. We also heard from AccessSTEM and AccessComputing participants about their academic and work-based learning experiences.

A Major Explosive Event

On March 27, 2009, at 9:27a.m., Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano exploded, kicking out debris that reached more than 65,000 feet into the atmosphere. The Alaska Volcano Observatory described the blast as "a major explosive event." At the same time, DO-IT, in partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), invited a group of eighty high school seniors with disabilities, along with their teachers and parents, to a transition event on campus.

Networking Night

This spring, DO-IT hosted an AccessSTEM Networking Night at the UW. The event kicked off bi-monthly meetings for high school and college students on the autism spectrum. During this first meeting, we discussed how students in the group want to communicate with each other using technology; they decided to stick with the current email-based forum. Other topics included issues specific to students on the autism spectrum; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) academic and career options; and tips from other students on how to succeed in college life.

The Internship Quiz

This year DO-IT will help students participate in more internships than any other year. This is due to DO-IT's success with funded projects and ongoing programs such as AccessSTEM, AccessComputing, DO-IT Scholars, and AccessCAREERS.

How much do you know about internships? Take this quick true/false Internship Quiz and see how you do:

High School Students with Disabilities Participate in Transition to College Workshop

On April 9, 2009, students from four Seattle high schools participated in a Transition to College event at Seattle Central Community College (SCCC). Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator Gina Nakamura, kicked off the event with an enthusiastic presentation on what a community college has to offer. She explained some of the differences between two- and four-year institutions to an attentive group of high school students and staff. Students asked many thoughtful questions regarding the variety of offerings, testing, and admissions procedures, as well as social opportunities.

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