Audiology (AuD) graduate student Julia Kleinfall ’22 and speech-language pathology (SLP) graduate student Sara Kuczynski were invited to present an overview of the six-part Cognition and Hearing Educational Series at the Senior Professionals of Illinois State University (ISU) Annual Dinner on April 23, 2023. The Senior Professionals group at Illinois State includes retired and semi-retired individuals. The group offers creative learning experiences, cultural enrichment, and social interaction for its members, as well as opportunities for student learning outside of the classroom through grant funding. The project Kleinfall and Kuczynski presented on was funded by the Civic Engagement Award Grant, which was sponsored by the Senior Professionals, along with the Center for Civic Engagement and the State Farm Foundation.
After receiving the Civic Engagement Award Grant, two graduate students and four faculty from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) collaboratively designed the Cognition and Hearing Educational Series and shared it with citizens of the Bloomington-Normal community, including members of the Activity and Recreation Center (ARC) in Normal. The team has now completed two educational lectures, two dual cognition and hearing screenings, and two cognitive and hearing trainings. The CSD team plans to continue implementing this program in the community in future semesters.
“During their presentation at the annual dinner, Julia and Sara shared the details of our multi-component educational series as well as their reflections on implementing this program in the community. They gave a presentation that was professional, engaging, and polished,” said Dr. Jennine Harvey-Northrop, a faculty member on the project. “Julia and Sara did an excellent job representing CSD and showing how the Civic Engagement Award Grant led to positive impacts on Illinois State students and the citizens of Bloomington-Normal.”
