Contact
901 Walnut Street 6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Outreach & Recruitment
Summer Training & Enrichment Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP)
The Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences (JCRS) STEP-UP Program is for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a graduate degree in occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, or speech-language pathology and who are traditionally underrepresented in these disciplines. This includes students who identify with historically marginalized communities, including:
- students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities,
- first-generation college students,
- students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds,
- students who identify within the LGBTQ+ communities, and
- students who are actively serving or previously served in the military.
STEP-UP helps students become competitive applicants to graduate school and provides a clearer understanding of the expectations and roles of both graduate students and professionals in rehabilitation science fields.
Readiness, Exploration, and Application for Careers in Health (REACH) Program
The Jefferson College of Rehabilitation Sciences (JCRS) High School REACH Program serves rising juniors and seniors who wish to explore careers in exercise science, physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), athletic training (AT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) and who are traditionally underrepresented in these disciplines. These include:
- students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minorities,
- first-generation college students,
- students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds,
- students who identify within the LGBTQ+ communities.
The REACH Program is a four-day program that increases students’ knowledge of the important role rehabilitation professionals play on the health care team and helps students understand what they can do to become competitive applicants for undergraduate and graduate programs in these fields.
Being in the program has solidified my desire to be an occupational therapist. Everyone was so supportive, and it really left such a positive, motivating impact on my life.