Students Commit to the Profession at 2011 AOTA/NBCOT Student Conclave
By Stephanie Yamkovenko
For the past 4 years, AOTA has partnered with the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) to provide an educational conference fully focused on occupational therapy students and occupational therapy assistant students, offering networking, meeting job recruiters, and participating in mock interviews and educational sessions. More than 500 students attended the 2011 AOTA/NBCOT Student Conclave in early November in Providence, RI. Occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students traveled from as far as California and Oregon to participate in this year’s event.
“The 2011 Student Conclave was a look into the future of our profession—and it is bright,” says Maureen Peterson, AOTA’s chief professional affairs officer. “This cohort of students brings such passion, commitment, and drive to occupational therapy.”
During the Student Conclave, AOTA President Florence Clark, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, announced the Student Centennial Commitment, which originated with the Centennial Vision Commission chaired by AOTA Vice President Ginny Stoffel, PhD, OT, BCMH, FAOTA. Occupational therapy celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2017, and Clark communicated the vision of every current student member of AOTA—17,000 students or 35% of total AOTA membership—pledging to keep their AOTA membership through 2017. AOTA estimates that if every student member takes the Centennial Commitment Pledge, AOTA would grow to 85,000 members by 2017, which would double current membership.
Following Clark’s presentation, more than 400 attendees made the pledge to keep their AOTA membership through 2017. “I was so impressed that 80% of the students present made the 2017 Centennial Commitment,” says Clark. “This means they understand that the key to building a strong profession that is positioned to meet all the societal concerns for which it is needed is membership, membership, membership.”
The new sessions and events offered this year were popular with attendees, including a standing-room-only mental health session, a trivia contest during the Welcome Ceremony, a panel of new occupational therapy practitioners who answered students’ questions, and the opportunity for attendees to ask questions of AOTA elected leaders, including President Clark, and senior leaders of AOTA and NBCOT.
“Students are such a vital resource, and I think it is so important that we constantly remind them that they are ambassadors of not only their programs, but also for this profession,” says Emily L. Vaught, MS, OTR/L, chairperson of the Assembly of Student Delegates. “Events like the Student Conclave help them to understand just how important they are and what resources they can be as this profession pushes into the future and reaches to the Centennial Vision.”
Students from 65 occupational therapy programs and 20 occupational therapy assistant programs from 33 states attended this year’s event, making it another successful Student Conclave.
“I was especially struck by the professionalism of the student group, by their political sophistication, and by the confidence and clarity they exuded in the interactive portions of the meeting,” says Clark. “Being at the Student Conclave reinforced for me the way in which what I call ‘pixel power’ is becoming ever more vibrant.”
Stephanie Yamkovenko is AOTA’s staff writer.
