Communication students at Lee University recently partnered with a Cleveland High School (CHS) SkillsUSA team to analyze data from an autism awareness service project. While not involved in the data collection, communication students will use the tools learned in the research methods class to help interpret the results.
“Serving the community with skills learned in the major is an important facet of our program,” said Dr. Megan Moe. “While we often help nonprofits with advertising or public relations campaigns, this offers a chance to use our statistical knowledge.”
The three CHS students, Jasmine McCurry, AnaLuisa Mendoza and Caroline Moe-Lunger, are led by SkillsUSA’s Chef Rush. As an extra-curricular service project, they chose to work with a special-needs class at Stuart Elementary and create a keepsake book for the second-graders.
Before the project at Stuart, the CHS seniors administered a pretest survey to classmates at the high school in order to find out their classmates’ perceptions of autism. Soon they will present information about the project, sharing their experiences. They will then administer a posttest survey and will be able to ascertain if they’ve been able to increase people’s understanding of those with autism.
Once all of the data is collected the communication students will analyze it to determine if there are any statistically significant shifts in the perceptions of those who listened to the presentation.
Regardless of the results, both Lee and CHS students appreciate the opportunity, although for some it is a more personal labor. CHS student senior Jasmine MccCurry designed the SkillsUSA project in order to work with her brother’s second-grade class.
As a sister of an autistic sibling, Ms. McCurry’s motivation to participate in the competition centers around the message she wants to convey. “Just because they have a disability, they can still do things that other people can do,” she said.
AnaLuisa Mendoza said, “people have a right to know that they can do anything that we can”.
After much hard work and preparation as well as help and encouragement from the community, the students are excited to share their work in two weeks. Even if they don’t win, they are still happy to have had the chance to work with the students and bring awareness.
SkillsUSA is a nationwide organization whose mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders and responsible American citizens. It improves the quality of America’s skilled workforce through a structured program of citizenship, leadership, employability, technical and professional skills training. It serves more than 300,000 students and instructors annually.