person working on a computer at a desk

Fund for Excellence Projects Awarded

The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute Fund for Excellence was created to support the development of innovative programs, services, or products to address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families, for which funding is not currently available. Below is a list of the most recent awards.

Expanding the Social Networks of Adults with Autism

Project Lead: Patti Logsdon

This project supports autistic adults in expanding their friendships, social networks, and community participation in valued community roles and activities. This will be achieved through a blended approach that builds upon person-centered planning, circle of friends/support, peer networks and valued social roles. This project will support HDI’s mission of building inclusive communities by developing social networks.

Mind in the Making: Seven Essential Executive Skills for Families

Project Leads: Dr. Joanne Rojas and Sally Dannenberg 

Mind in the Making (MITM) is a research framework that summarizes decades of developmental research into the seven essential life skills. The MITM training consists of eight modules geared to early childhood professionals and family educators to engage them in an experiential and reflective process of self-discovery of their own competence in these life skills, connect their experience to the research, and learn to promote these capacities in themselves as well as in the children in their care. The goal of this project is to provide this training to communities throughout the state that serve families that are at risk because of a variety of circumstances. This project supports HDI’s mission of addressing the inequity of access to resources and support networks. 

Working Alternatives to Guardianship (WAG)

Project Lead: Laura Butler 

The goal of this project is to form a workgroup of stakeholders that will work together to inform workable decisional support options for people who have not traditionally had viable options beyond legal guardianship. The initial objective of the group will be to create a Continuing Legal Education course that will focus on providing people with legal documents that will be accepted by a wide variety of other professionals. This project will further HDI’s mission of building inclusive communities by helping identify ways for more people to experience full personal and civil rights. 

Jacob Mason Tina Jackson Story video still with Jacob and Tina during the interview with the caption: "Who are you and why do you want to share your story?"

HDI Launches Storytelling Website

The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute Digital Storytelling Initiative highlights the stories and lived experiences of people with disabilities. By recording and collecting stories, the contributions of people with disabilities and their families are amplified to help shape the narrative of how disability impacts society. These stories can be found at HDI Voices, a website that currently includes stories about employment, health, and COVID-19.

The work continues! Do you have a story to tell? HDI staff Patti Logsdon, Adam Potter, and Patti Singleton want to work with you. You can share your story or work with others to record their story in writing, on audio (podcast), or video. If you are interested in adding to the HDI story collection, fill out the form at https://bit.ly/TellMyStoryHDI  or contact Patti Logsdon at patti.logsdon@uky.edu or 859 218-1338.

Visit voices.hdiuky.net and share with others who want to improve their work with people with disabilities and their families. This project was made by possible by a HDI Fund for Excellence proposal.

The HDI Digital Storytelling Initiative features Dr. Phillip Rumrill

The UK Human Development Institute presents the second video in its Digital Storytelling Initiative, a Fund for Excellence project. In this video, Morgan Turner, Project Specialist, interviews Dr. Phillip Rumrill.

Dr. Rumrill is a professor of Counselor Education, and Director of Research and Training at the UK Human Development Institute. He shares his personal experience with disability, how it has impacted his life, and shares advice for other people living with disabilities. Dr. Rumrill says, “It’s not about what you can’t do. It’s what you do contribute and what you add in that appreciation of diversity and value of everyone’s humanity”.

The Digital Storytelling Initiative utilizes the StoryCorps (R) facilitation model to preserve and share stories by, about, and told by people with disabilities. In these videos, both the interviewer and interviewee are people who experience disability in their lives. If you are interested in learning more about the Digital Storytelling Initiative, contact patti.logsdon@uky.edu.

Share Your Story!

The University of Kentucky Human Development Institute – HDI Digital Storytelling Initiative is collecting stories about the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Our team will help record the story in the format that you choose. These stories will help improve our work. Are you interested in learning more? Contact Patti Logsdon at patti.logsdon@uky.edu or 859-218-1338.

Share Your Story!