Recruitment for Fueling Success in CTE Project: Student and Family Focus Groups
Fueling Success in Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a project of the Learning & Working Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Learning & Working RRTC) within the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research (Transitions ACR) at the UMass Chan Medical School. The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research leads national efforts to improve outcomes for youth and young adults (ages 14-30) living with emotional disturbance or serious mental health conditions by addressing barriers to education, employment, and community inclusion.
Researchers at UMass Chan are looking for youth and young adults and/or their families to participate in a one-hour virtual focus group to address the following:
- What information do youth and young adults and/or their families need for access and success in CTE programming? What kinds of resources would be most helpful?
- What kinds of supports are needed for youth and young adults to be successful in CTE?
- How can the value of CTE best be shared with families, youth, and young adults?
- Is lack of awareness of the benefits of CTE a barrier to accessing CTE for youth and young adults and/or families? How can this best be addressed?
Key goals of Fueling Success in CTE include identifying and addressing gaps in CTE instructors’ knowledge of supporting these youth in CTE, developing and evaluating newly developed materials and resources for CTE instructors, educating youth and young adults and their families about CTE, career pathways, and accommodations, and creating usable resources for youth and young adults and their families.
Fueling Success in CTE builds upon earlier research on CTE by Dr. Ellison, Ms. McKay, and colleagues at UMass Chan.
Share your experience with Career & Technical Education (CTE)!
UMass Chan Medical School is hosting a series of focus groups with students over 18 living with mental health conditions, and their families, to hear about their experience with CTE.
Questions will inform learning about access to and participation in CTE. Help shape the future of CTE for all students.
Join us for a 1-hour virtual focus group with one of the following groups:
- Students only
- Parents/caregivers only, or
- Students and their families together
Who Can Join?
- Students over 18 with lived experience of an emotional disturbance or mental health condition, who have taken at least 1 CTE class, and/or their parents/caregivers
- Parents/caregivers of students with a mental health condition, who have taken at least 1 CTE class in high school
- Participants who complete a focus group will receive a $50 gift card as compensation for their time.
Interested?
Complete our CTE Student and Family Focus Group Interest Form to determine eligibility and register for a focus group.
Have Questions? Email Vanessa Mitchell-Wagner at: vanessa.mitchellwagner@umassmed.edu
IRB Docket #STUDY0002282
The Fueling Success in CTE project is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research as part of the Learning & Working Rehabilitation Research and Training Center grant (#90RTEM0012).
