The Center for Interprofessional Studies (CIP) at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) supports students’ interprofessional education through collaborations across professions. Through the Interprofessional Seed award, four Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students, led by Erin Mathia, assistant professor and assistant director of the OTD program, represented the University of Pittsburgh on the second interprofessional service-learning trip to Belize.
For 10 meaningful days, 52 participants, consisting of faculty and students from the Pitt, Alvernia University and Misericordia University, came together in Belize with one shared goal: to provide sustainable, collaborative rehabilitation services while learning alongside the community. Representing occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology, the team demonstrated the power of interprofessional practice in action.
The value of collaboration was clear from the moment the group began working together. Occupational therapy students addressed participation in daily activities, adaptive strategies and environmental supports. Physical therapy students focused on mobility, strength and functional movement. Speech-language pathology students supported communication, language development and voice production. Each discipline brought a unique perspective, but it was the integration of those perspectives that created truly holistic care.
Over the course of the trip, students worked with children and adults across community settings. The goal was not short-term intervention, but sustainability. Every treatment session emphasized practical strategies that families, caregivers, educators and health care professionals could continue using long after the team returned home.
Recommendations prioritized low-cost materials and accessible solutions. During a parent education session, students used items purchased from a local grocery store to demonstrate how to create simple sensory tools to support regulation at home.
Small environmental adjustments and activity modifications often made a meaningful impact, such as suggesting that a client sits while getting dressed or uses brightly colored tape to mark steps within the home for increased visibility. Education and empowerment were central to every interaction.
Left: Shelby Ligo (right, OTD ‘26) engaging with a client in their home in collaboration with a physical therapy student from Alvernia University and a speech-language pathology student from Misericordia University. The students worked on caregiver techniques for bed mobility and sitting on the edge of bed to engage in feeding for the client who was recovering from a stroke. Right: Bonnie Freiman (OTD ‘26) interacting with a pediatric client at one of the local parks in Belize.
Working in resource-limited settings challenged students to think creatively and adapt with intention. Instead of traditional therapy equipment, they used everyday materials, transforming bath towels or bed sheets into homemade leg lifters to support mobility and filling socks with rice to create wrist weights for tremor management. Classrooms, community centers, churches and outdoor spaces became treatment areas. Students leaned heavily on clinical reasoning, collaboration and problem-solving rather than specialized tools or technology.
By actively listening to caregivers and teachers, they identified readily available items within homes and classrooms that could be repurposed to support individuals with diverse needs. These experiences strengthened not only their clinical competence, but also their confidence.
Beyond clinical growth, the trip deepened students’ understanding of cultural humility and global health. They learned to listen first, to respect existing knowledge within the community and to partner rather than prescribe. They reflected daily on privilege, access to care and the broader systems that shape health outcomes. Service-learning became less about providing help and more about building relationships and learning together.
The interprofessional collaboration extended beyond patient care. Students from different universities and disciplines learned with and from one another, consulting on cases, co-treating sessions and discussing approaches. The experience mirrored real-world team-based health care and reinforced the importance of communication and mutual respect across professions.
While the time spent in country was a little more than a week, its impact will extend far beyond Belize. Students returned with strengthened skills, a deeper appreciation for collaborative practice and a renewed sense of purpose in their chosen professions.
Three universities. Three disciplines. One shared commitment to sustainable service. The Belize experience was a powerful reminder that when education and community partnership come together, growth happens on both sides and meaningful impact follows.
