Raheleh Ghasseminia PhD MS OT/L; Barb Hooper PhD, OTR, FAOTA; MaryBeth Gallagher PhD, OTR/L, BCMH
Education, Research, & Scholarship | Audience Level: Intermediate
This session presents an occupation-centered OTD curriculum where occupation serves as both the organizing foundation for teaching and learning and as a central mechanism of health and well-being. Occupation-centered education helps students connect learning to the profession’s core domain; however, its role in preparing justice-focused practitioners is less explicit. This session addresses that gap by demonstrating how intentionally centering occupation as the core competence of occupational therapists cultivates students’ capacity to recognize and respond to inequities in practice. Presenters illustrate how meaningful “moments that matter” in the classroom, simulation experiences, and fieldwork support student development as attentive, ethical, and responsive practitioners and foster dignity, participation, and justice across diverse and complex practice contexts. Participants will leave with practical strategies applicable to teaching and supervision.