April 7, 2025
CREATE students are encouraged to join the HuskyADAPT leadership team through a variety of student chair positions. Applications are being accepted through Friday, April 18.
Being on the leadership team involves approximately 5 hours per week of commitment, though this may vary based on your role and upcoming events. The HuskyADAPT chairs are the student leaders who plan and facilitate all HuskyADAPT events, as demonstrated at the Spring Community Meeting.
Coordinates Student Exec Board meetings, serves as the main HuskyADAPT contact, communicates with faculty advisors, organizes finances and spearheads funding applications, and mentors/supports other officers. Useful skills/experiences include leadership (especially previous leadership with HuskyADAPT), communication, organization, and event management.
Manages HuskyADAPT budgets, approving purchases, applying for new funding opportunities, organizing our yearly giving campaign, and compiling our annual report.
Lead on-campus and off-campus toy adaptation efforts. Essential skills include the ability to plan and facilitate events (2 events per month, 20 to 50 people per event), expertise in toy adaptation, strong organizational skills, and patience. Helpful experiences include regular attendance at toy adaptation events. Toy adaptation chairs work closely together.
Lead our Yellow Toy Club and help to foster a toy-adaptation community! Plan weekly Yellow Toy Club meetings, manage the club space, and lead twice a quarter Yellow Toy Fix It Events. Essential skills include expertise in toy adaptation and organization skills. Helpful experiences include regular attendance at toy adaptation events, Lead Toy Adapter certification, and has participated in Yellow Toy Club.
Lead toy donation and distribution (including leading collaborations with toy library organizations such as the PNW Adapted Toy Library and a growing collaboration with King County Library System. Essential skills include expertise in toy adaptation and strong communication and organizational skills. Helpful experiences include regular attendance at toy adaptation events.
Integrate the UW GoBabyGo Leadership team with HuskyADAPT. This may include coordinating volunteers and necessary logistics for GoBabyGo workshops, assisting with marketing development for the GoBabyGo program and workshops, supporting the GoBabyGo design team, and general involvement with the GoBabyGo Leadership team. Helpful experiences/skills include knowledge of the national GoBabyGo organization, ability to plan and lead events, and passion for inclusion and importance of early mobility for children with disabilities. Previous toy or car adaptation experience or electrical/wiring experience a plus! This position will also require additional planning meetings with the Co-directors of UW GoBabyGo from Rehab Medicine, Shawn Rundell and Heather Feldner.
Lead student design projects that tackle accessibility challenges in our community. This includes determining suitable design projects, creating design teams, and mentoring and teaching technical skills to design teams. Essential skills include design knowledge, human-centered design experience, and organizational skills. Recommended prior experience in a human-centered design or HuskyADAPT Design Team.
Lead communications! Manage and update the HuskyADAPT website and social media pages (Twitter, Instagram), create flyers about events occurring throughout the year, and send the bi-weekly emails. Helpful skills include graphic design, social media skills, organization and communication skills.
Lead outreach through partnerships with K-12 students, industry partners, and clinical partners. Note that this includes all toy adaptation and design events held offcampus as well as on-campus K-12 outreach such as tours and Discovery Days. Help connect us with other organizations on campus, such as CREATE and the D-Center. Attend monthly Engineering Student Council meetings and CREATE events. Lead special events, like our twice-a-year Design-a-thon and Design Showcases. Essential skills include ability to plan and facilitate events, expertise in toy adaptation, and strong organizational and communication skills. Helpful experiences include enjoying teaching and working with children.
Don’t miss this opportunity to get more involved in CREATE and help HuskyADAPT continue its impactful work!
Why get involved?
HuskyADAPT is a student organization, supported by CREATE, that collaborates with individuals with disabilities and community partners on design projects. They provide adapted toys and devices for free to the local community, create low-tech adaptive technologies such as adapted books and low-cost switches, and offer education on accessible design on campus and in the community.
Skill Development: Gain hands-on experience in accessible design, project management, mentoring, and community outreach.
Networking: Connect with professionals, community partners, and fellow students passionate about accessibility.
Leadership Experience: Enhance your leadership skills by taking on roles such as toy donation chair, student executive chair, or outreach chair, which are well-suited to graduate student schedules and responsibilities.
As a current CREATE Ph.D. student and long-time HuskyADAPT leader, I appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the local disability community AND teach others about accessibility. As someone who does research with a lot of local families and young children, I always share HuskyADAPT as a resource to them as well.
Mia Hoffman
