- How did Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) Career Awareness Month begin?
- What is the purpose of CSD Career Awareness Month?
- What are the benefits of CSD Career Awareness Month?
- When is CSD Career Awareness Month?
- How will the National Office help CSD programs to implement CSD Career Awareness activities?
- What is the cost to CSD programs of implementing this program?
- How do we get students to attend this event?
- Will the National Office help CSD programs provide transportation for students attending the event?
- Does getting involved in CSD Career Awareness Month take a lot of time? I'm very busy.
- What students are being targeted for CSD Career Awareness Month?
- What are some other ways that programs are hosting CSD Career Awareness Month activities?
- How will the National Office help to promote this event nationally?
- How can the state associations get involved with CSD Career Awareness Month?
- How should programs avoid liability issues associated with allowing students to view treatments in a clinic?
- How will the National Office measure the effectiveness of this program?
- What type of follow-up activities does the National Office plan to conduct for the students?
- I'm interested in having my CSD program participate. How do we register?
- Who is the National Office contact for more information?
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1. How did Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) Career Awareness Month begin?
CSD Career Awareness Month began as a collaborative effort between the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to promote the professions of audiology, speech-language pathology, and speech-language and hearing sciences.
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2. What is the purpose of CSD Career Awareness Month?
CSD Career Awareness Month is an opportunity to introduce the professions of audiology and speech-language pathology as viable healthcare career options for students. Students participating in CSD Career Awareness activities will meet other students preparing for a career in CSD as well as professionals working in the field. Students will observe what happens in a speech and hearing clinic and will learn the skills and academic coursework needed for a career in CSD.
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3. What are the benefits of CSD Career Awareness Month?
CSD Career Awareness Month gives students an up-close look at a day in the life of students and professionals. Students will tour a speech and hearing clinic and attend workshops to gain knowledge about the professions, academic requirements, and financial aid options. Students will have a hearing screening to help relate the importance of the profession to their everyday lives. There will be a broad assortment of activities during CSD Career Awareness Month that will pique students' interest and encourage them to learn more about the profession.
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4. When is CSD Career Awareness Month?
CSD Career Awareness Month activities can be hosted during the month of October.
One of the lessons learned when we piloted the program in 2004 was that programs needed the flexibility to host activities on their date of choice. We've implemented that improvement and are allowing programs to select the date that works best for them in the month of October.
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5. How will the National Office help CSD programs to implement CSD Career Awareness activities?
Everything that is needed to host activities is available on the CSD Career Awareness Month Web site. Use the links below to access more information:
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6. What is the cost of implementing this program?
Our intention is to minimize the cost incurred to participate in this program. Therefore, the resources provided by the national offices are complimentary to registered host sites. The National Office will not charge host sites for materials or give-away items.
For those programs that choose to do so a luncheon can be added to the day. There are obviously costs associated with providing food. Otherwise, the only other costs might be for the use of the rooms, audio-visual equipment, refreshments, and handouts.
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7. How do we get students to attend this event?
The national office will post a list of all registered host sites on the CSD Career Awareness Month Web site. This list will be available to the public and the public will be encouraged to use it to locate CSD Career Awareness activities in their area.
It is our hope however that the CSD program will work with the office of admissions at the university to identify local high schools counselors, community college students, and undergraduate students to inform them about CSD Career Awareness Month activities (most admissions offices have that information and will share it with programs to recruit students).
CSD programs may also contact their state or local public school system to request mailing labels of guidance counselors (and sometimes even junior and senior level students or their parents).
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8. Will the National Office help CSD programs provide transportation for students attending the event?
The intention is that participating schools will arrange transportation for students to attend this event. The host institution will not be responsible for arranging transportation unless it is able to do so at minimal cost. NSSLHA/ASHA will not reimburse programs that arrange transportation with a school district.
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9. Does getting involved in CSD Career Awareness Month take a lot of time? I'm very busy.
Participating in CSD Career Awareness Month is easy because the National Office has developed all the activities and materials that you will need to make your activity beneficial to everyone who participates.
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10. What students are being targeted for CSD Career Awareness Month?
That depends on the CSD program. Activities can be tailored to attract any level of student. CSD Career Awareness Month is targeted to high school students as well as undergraduate students undecided about a major or looking for a graduate CSD program.
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11. What are some other ways that programs are hosting CSD Career Awareness Month activities?
For space, logistics, size or other reasons, sometimes programs have to "tweak" the recommended format for CSD Career Awareness activities. Additional ways to hosts activities are:
- Host activities at a table in a high-traffic area of the student union of your university or in a common area where students frequent.
- Visit a local high school or community college and promote the professions during an open assembly or to a class of juniors and seniors students.
- Instead of recruiting to all schools in your area identify one school, preferably with a math/science emphasis, and promote CSD Career Awareness with those students.
- If your college or university has a public access channel, ask to broadcast "Communication: The Human Connection" video and then provide students with contact information for the department or the next NSSLHA meeting where they can learn more. (You can also do this if there is a radio station by hosting a segment about the professions.)
- For programs interested in recruiting graduate students – invite undergraduates only and talk to them about the many career options in the profession and how your graduate program can prepare them for those careers.
- For programs interested in recruiting for their undergraduate and graduate programs – use ½ of the day to host activities for high school students and then use the other half of the day to host activities for undergraduate students.
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12. How will the National Office help to promote this event nationally?
In addition to promoting the program through the ASHA Leader, the national office is promoting CSD Career Awareness Month at the American School Counselor Association and through the Ventures Scholars Program.
We have also developed a media kit to help programs promote this event to the local media. Included in this kit are pre-printed fliers, advertisements, a press release and media advisory where programs can add their logo and contact information.
The real work promoting this event, however, will occur at the local level. CSD programs are advised to work with their campus communications or public relations offices to advertise this event. The CSD Career Awareness Month Web site has a customizable proclamation and resolution that programs are encouraged to use to recognize CSD Career Awareness Month in your area.
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13. How can the state associations get involved with CSD Career Awareness Month?
There are many ways that the speech-language-hearing state associations can participate in CSD Career Awareness activities. Representatives from the state association can participate as speakers. Alternatively, they can sponsor a lunch for the students and use that time to talk about the role of the state association in the lives of the CSD professional and the importance of membership in a professional association.
Programs should also work with the speech-language-hearing state associations to have CSD Career Awareness Month recognized by the state and local legislature. A customizable proclamation and resolution are available to assist with this effort.
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14. How should programs avoid liability issues associated with allowing students to view treatments in a clinic?
HIPPA laws will prevent programs from allowing visiting students to observe sessions. The National Office advises programs to tape a session with a client and to secure permission from the client authorizing the taped session to be used for research. Alternatively, programs may use students to "role play" client treatment exercises to demonstrate techniques in the field.
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15. How will the National Office measure the effectiveness of this program?
Program evaluation forms are available for students [RTF] participating in the activity. A separate evaluation form for the high school representative or career counselor [RTF] is available.
Programs should collect this data at the end of the activity and then forward the evaluation forms to the National Office. The National Office will review the evaluation data to determine the success of the program.
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16. What type of follow-up activities does the National Office plan to conduct for the students?
The host program will forward all School Registration Forms [PDF], Student Participation Forms [PDF], and Parent Consent Forms to the National Office for processing. The National Office will enter this information in its prospect database and send each student a complimentary one-year subscription to the NSSLHA newsletter, NSSLHA Now!, a certificate of participation and additional information on job shadowing activities in their area.
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17. I'm interested in having my CSD program participate. How do we register?
A program or organization interested in hosting activities must register with the national office. Registered programs will be listed as a host site on the CSD Career Awareness Month Web site. Registered host will also receive complimentary giveaway items and additional resources to use for activities.
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18. Who is the National Office contact for more information?
Dawn Dickerson, NSSLHA's Director of Operations, is the project manager and primary contact for this activity. Contact her by e-mail at ddickerson@asha.org or by phone at 301-296-8705.
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