USC Chan Division Global Initiatives

May is AAPI Heritage Month! We take this opportunity to reflect on & celebrate the meaningful presence & contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, & Pacific Islanders to our culture, history, & individual lives. Swipe to read what AAPI Heritage Month means to members of our Chan community! 🪷🤍🌺🤍🌸

Happy Passover from USC Chan Global Initiatives 🌼

Occupational therapists work with individuals to increase participation in occupations, also known as meaningful activities. Enjoy this slide where Chan students share their favorite occupations! 🌟💙

Embracing the power of Occupational Therapy this month and every month! 🌟 Celebrating the incredible impact OTs make in helping individuals live life to the fullest. From empowering independence to promoting holistic wellness, let’s honor the heart and soul of OTs everywhere! 💙

Happy Occupational Therapy Month! We are so grateful for our profession & community—OT is truly a work of heart! See how some of our Chan community advance their own health, well-being, & quality of life through their meaningful occupations & USC events. Join us for different events throughout April to celebrate (second slide)!

Happy Easter from Global Initiatives! We hope that everyone who celebrates today enjoys a day filled with hope and joy!

Happy Purim for all who are celebrating! 🎭🎉🎊

Throughout the months of January and February, the USC Chan Division and Global Initiatives were able to host occupational therapy students and colleagues from Inje University (South Korea), Kaohsiung Medical University (Taiwan), Soonchunhyang University (South Korea), and Yonsei University (South Korea). Visiting students were able to engage in site visits in various practice areas throughout Los Angeles, attend USC classes, speak with USC Chan leadership and faculty, and engage in a student forum discussing occupational therapy’s role in our respective contexts.

Visiting and USC students also explored Los Angeles in social outings including Old Pasadena, Grand Central Market, and a very windy afternoon at Dockweiler Beach. We are grateful for the mutual exchange of knowledge, experiences shared, and fun had throughout the last few weeks. Thank you to all those who joined us in our hospitality and we hope you cherish the global connections made!❤️

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline to sign up for SOTI is fast approaching! Don’t miss out – applications close this Friday, March 1st, 2024. Have questions about applying? Reach out to our team, we’re here to help! For more details, check out the program through this link: https://chan.usc.edu/education/soti

To wrap up Black History Month, let’s spotlight four remarkable occupational therapy practitioners.

Letha J. Mosely (PHD, OTR, FAOTA) emphasized community health and wellness. Barbara E. Townsend (OTR, FAOTA) made history as the first African American vice president in AOTA. Shirley A. Wells (DR PH, OTR, FAOTA) championed cultural inclusion in OT. And Stacy Wilson (MS, OTR/L) earned the 2023 NBCOT Impact Award for advocating for black individuals in the field.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our events this month! ❤️💛💚

Join us in commemorating the remarkable contributions of Panelpha (Penny) L. Kyler (SCD, OT, FAOTA), Joyce Lane (PHD, OTR, FAOTA), and Lela Llorens (PHD, OTR, FAOTA) to the field of occupational therapy. Their pioneering efforts have advanced genetic research within our field and propelled social justice initiatives through the establishment of the Black Occupational Therapy Caucus.

We extend our gratitude for those who participated in the Black History Block Party Bake Sale and don’t miss the opportunity to support our Women’s Basketball team as they face off against Colorado on Friday, February 23rd at 7pm.!

This week’s Black History Month highlight features the remarkable contributions of Frederick B. Covington (OTD), Wimberly Edwards (MS OTR), and Shirley Jackson-Jackson (OT/L, FAOTA). Their pioneering efforts have paved the way for advancements in OT technology, fostered inclusivity for diverse students in the field, and elevated academia in the health sciences.

Don’t miss out on the Black History Block Party Bake Sale happening at the CHP patio during lunchtime from Monday, February 12th to Thursday, February 15th. Plus, mark your calendars for an outing to the Women’s Basketball game (USC vs. Colorado) on Friday, February 23rd at 7pm. Stay tuned for more updates! 🎉

In honor of Black History Month, Global Initiatives will be featuring a series of posts to introduce and appreciate Black Occupational Therapy practitioners.

Be sure to stay tuned throughout this month & join our events in collaboration with the Black Affinity Group at the Chan division of OS and OT!

Hello all, this is a reminder that SOTI 2024 is coming up! Notify your friends or colleagues that may be interested in learning about OT in the United States.

Be sure to visit the SOTI website:
chan.usc.edu/education/soti

Happy Hanukkah! 🕎

Global Initiatives is very excited to announce the 2024 Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion (SOTI) program!

SOTI is a 4-week summer program designed for international OT students and practitioners who are interested in learning more about OT practice in the United States. Over the past 9 years, SOTI has been privileged to welcome students from over 46 countries on 6 continents.

This year, SOTI will be held from July 1 - July 31, 2024. We will have both an in-person (in Los Angeles) and virtual option!

Applications are being accepted now at https://chan.usc.edu/soti until March 1, 2024. This link is also available on our Link tree in our bio!

Please do contact SOTI program director Danny Park at mailto:[email protected] with any questions

Friendsgiving 2023! ❤️💛

Our world is increasingly interconnected and interdependent, and here at USC Chan, we believe occupational therapy is integral to enriching the health and well-being of all people, wherever they live. USC Chan is a global hub for innovation and excellence, and our worldwide network of partners, programs and alumni is a hallmark that makes USC Chan unlike any other institution in occupational therapy higher education.

Yet we also know that this particular moment in global affairs is a tenuous one in which cross-cultural connection, compassion and conversation seem to be in short supply.

Thankfully, USC Chan students are afforded educational experiences that can broaden their horizons and help build a better future for us all. Through globally-oriented elective courses, international fieldwork sites and capstone opportunities, our students can advance their understanding of occupation in global contexts, practice cultural humility and continue growing as reflective, responsive and engaged professionals.

That’s why I am humbled to announce that every gift — no matter its size — made to our Occupational Therapy Scholarship Fund between Nov. 1-30 will be directed to offsetting the costs of our students’ global educational experiences. Every dollar of this support immediately decreases financial barriers to ensure that Trojan students keep strengthening the OT community worldwide.

Please visit USC Chan’s official CommunityFunded page at tinyurl.com/GivetoUSCChan to make your gift today. Together, let’s enhance our profession’s capacity to influence the health and quality of life for people worldwide. Thank you for your generosity and support of our students.

Fight On!

Danny Park OTD, OTR/L
Director of Global Initiatives and Associate Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy

World OT Day 2023 - Unity Through Community 🌎

We’re back for another Foodie Friday! Today Rachel Bae, a 2nd year E-OTD student, shares all about Korean BBQ. Read on to hear about how K-BBQ holds special significance to Rachel! As always, we’d love for YOU to participate in Foodie Friday. Check out the link in our story to sign up!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! This past week, we celebrated with moon cakes, writing notes to loved ones, and a fun photobooth! The frames on these photo collages & the photobooth props were designed by visiting students from Asia University: Yuki, Mars, & Teresa. Special thanks to everyone who helped out! Swipe to see photos from the event & to learn more about how similar holidays are celebrated across East and Southeast Asia!

Celebrating Saudi National Day with our students! We enjoyed the day with some Arabic coffee, dates and Arabic name translations. Thank you to our wonderful Saudi Arabian students for sharing their culture with us!

The 2023 Summer Occupational Therapy Immersion program wrapped up last week, during which time 68 amazing participants (and 10 instructors) from 19 countries spent over a month together in a global community.

Although we are so very sad to say goodbye to one another, we leave as friends and allies in our work to change our world for good. SOTI friends, let us stay in touch and keep helping each other as we reach for our dreams!

Global initiatives wishes everyone a Happy Juneteenth!

As we celebrate, let’s remember the events that took place making today very important.

Global Initiatives would like to encourage our friends around the world to consider donating to the following organizations who are on-the-ground providing emergency medical relief during the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan. We pray for an end to the violence and especially safety for all those now in harm’s way.

If you would like to donate or learn more, we have included links in our bio to the following vetted and crucial non-profit organizations:

Sudanese American Physicians’ Association (SAPA)
Fill-A-Heart (youth-led charitable NGO)
Sudan Hospital Fund

(The last 3 slides are reposted from Ahmad Saaid )

Global initiatives sends our warmest wishes for a Happy Nowruz to everyone celebrating around the world! As we look ahead to this new year (and to spring), we send our wishes for health, happiness, peace, and renewal to all our friends and loved ones!

COTAD Chair Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh is taking over the Instagram as she celebrates Nowruz with her beautiful family. Please follow along ! ♥️

USC Chan Global Initiatives continues to stand in strong solidarity with, and sends our love to, our Black friends, colleagues, partners, and brothers and sisters both here in Los Angeles and around the world. We are heartbroken and outraged at the death of Mr. Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers, which follows so many other acts of violence suffered by too many, including Mr. Keenan Anderson on January 3 of this year. We call for accountability of these heinous acts.

We will strive to ensure that our office serves as a safe place where all of our students, staff, and faculty are uplifted, heard, and loved. We hurt together today, and yet we are steadfast in our commitment to stand together and work for change. Our doors are always open to our community. For students, university resources can be found through Counseling and Mental Health at (213) 740-9355 (WELL) and. For faculty or staff, through the WorkWell Center at (213) 821-0800.