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Portland, Maine

UNE Occupational Therapy program to host annual Adaptive Projects Expo on April 23

Students instruct a child how tp play with the marble run they built by hand
Students in UNE's OT program will showcase their inventive projects designed to assist pediatric clients, like this 3D-printed game board from last year's Expo.
Learn more about the 2024 Expo

The Occupational Therapy program at the University of New England is set to hold its highly-anticipated annual Pediatric Adaptive Projects Expo on Tuesday, April 23, on UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences.

A signature event of UNE’s Occupational Therapy (OT) program, the annual event showcases student-crafted projects designed to assist children with various sensory processing conditions or neurodevelopmental delays. All projects are donated to either local families or centers that cater to clients with such conditions, and the experience provides UNE OT students the opportunity for hands-on learning and interaction with clients.

Past projects include a sensory piano that produced sound using electrical signals from everyday objects — including carrots, potatoes, and houseplants — and 3D-printed gaming boards created to better the play experience for children with autism spectrum disorder. 

“Each year, our students make innovative use of evidence-based strategies, plus their creative imaginations, to provide children with tangible projects that meet their sensory needs,” remarked Kris Winston, Ph.D., OTR/L, program director of Occupational Therapy at UNE. “We are all looking forward to seeing what our students have developed for this year’s Expo, and we are excited to welcome our community partners to campus to experience the joy that occupational therapy can provide in helping children and others live fulfilling lives.”

The annual event will  start at 4:30 p.m. in Girard Innovation Hall on UNE’s Portland Campus, located at 716 Stevens Ave.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.