We always knew that Colorado was home to incredible leaders. OTAC was honored to receive an award for Leadership Development at the annual AOTA conference in 2024.

Leadership Development

The Occupational Therapy Association of Colorado (OTAC) has made significant strides in promoting student involvement and leadership development since 2021. These efforts have led to a 65% increase in student membership over the past 16 months, and many former student members now hold leadership positions within OTAC. New policies included conference discounts, free conference attendance for student volunteers, student presentations at conference, reduced membership costs for students, annual donations to each of the student occupational therapy groups in the state (replacing traditional scholarships with broader support), student representation from each school in board meetings with collective voting rights, and the ability to create a free online OTAC directory profile to aid in job searches and networking. As a result, student registrations for Hill Day 2024 increased, former student representatives have been elected to board positions, several current board members began their involvement with OTAC through student projects and mentorships, student-led led capstone projects have contributed to the development of OTAC's educational and advocacy programs, including a pain self-management curriculum, and, for the first time, all 2024 board members applied for their positions voluntarily, without external invitations.

Follow the link to read about other state initiatives!