Being the director of a PT or PTA or education program can seem as lonely as it is overwhelming — but it doesn't have to be that way. APTA is now recruiting emerging and current program directors to its Fellowship in Education Leadership, a program that provides opportunities to learn from mentors and each other in ways that will enhance their own work and strengthen the profession. Final application deadline is March 15, 2021, but applications received before Jan. 29 will receive early review. And this year, new funding opportunities have opened up to enhance diversity.
The yearlong program, formerly known as the Education Leadership Institute, uses a blended learning approach (online and on-site components, when feasible given the current health emergency) to help directors in physical therapy education programs develop the skills and resources they need to become innovative, influential, and visionary leaders. The fellowship is highly rated by past participants and in 2019 earned national recognition from the American Society of Association Executives for its innovative programming.
New this year: faculty and program chair diversity grants funded by the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy. The ACAPT program, aimed at increasing racial and ethnic diversity among fellows, will offer up to $24,000 to support enrollment and travel expenses for up to two fellows. ACAPT will hold an informational webinar on the funding on Jan. 19.
“As a profession, we must address the lack of diversity in our clinical and academic settings. We need to support greater minority representation among our PT faculty and academic administrators,” said ACAPT President Mark Reinking, PT, PhD, ATC, FAPTA. “ACAPT recognizes that providing leadership training is one way to help tackle the issue and ensure our leaders reflect our patient population.”
The APTA Fellowship in Education Leadership is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education.
Questions? Contact the program director at annereicherter@apta.org.