American International College’s interdisciplinary Neuro Pro Bono Group gives occupational therapy and physical therapy students real-world clinical experience while providing individualized support for people living with neurological conditions.
Classroom Learning Meets Real-World Impact
At American International College (AIC), experiential learning is the cornerstone of our Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) programs. As part of their coursework, students participate in an eight-week Neuro Pro Bono Group, where community participants living with neurological conditions attend weekly 90-minute sessions on campus.
Under faculty supervision, students complete comprehensive evaluations and examinations to create client-centered goals and treatment plans. The experience concludes with a reevaluation, individualized home program, and recommendations. Participants are invited back for a debrief and celebration to discuss functional gains, insights, and “aha” moments.
There’s a quiet kind of transformation that happens when learning leaves the classroom and enters the lives of real people.
For occupational therapy and physical therapy students, few experiences capture this shift more powerfully than participating in an interdisciplinary neuro-focused pro bono group. At first glance, the benefits to patients seem obvious. Individuals living with neurological conditions such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, or Guillain-Barré syndrome gain access to personalized care delivered by students eager to support their wants and needs.
But what can be overlooked is how deeply reciprocal the experience becomes. The group creates a community where both participants and students evolve their confidence and functional skills together.
Moving From Theory to Practice Through Clinical Education
For students, the transition from theory to practice can be intimidating. In the Neuro Pro Bono Group, uncertainty is no longer hypothetical, it is immediate and unavoidable.
Students must make decisions, adapt treatment plans, and communicate effectively with participants and team members, often without the safety net of constant instructor intervention. Despite the challenges of real-world practice, students rise to the occasion.
One example of this was the early detection of a lower-extremity blood clot, which required discussion with supervising faculty and referral to the participant’s primary care physician. This moment demonstrated the importance of careful assessment and the responsibility that comes with working directly with individuals.
In this sense, confidence in clinical education is not built through passive observation. It is forged in moments of hesitation followed by action—when a student adjusts a gait training approach mid-session or rethinks a kitchen mobility task because a participant’s fatigue presents differently than expected.
Through these experiences, students quickly learn that perfection isn’t the goal; responsiveness is. And with each patient interaction, their clinical reasoning and critical decision-making mushrooms.
Small Functional Gains That Make a Lasting Impact
But perhaps the most transformative element of the Neuro Pro Bono Group is the shift in perspective. When students work with participants over weeks, they witness small yet deeply meaningful gains. Navigating a curb with confidence. Facilitating a further reach when kneeling in the garden. Agreeing to a new custom wheelchair that is more easily and independently lifted into their vehicle. These aren’t just clinical milestones; they are improvements in the lives of our participants.
A Community Where Everyone Learns
There is something uniquely empowering about being part of a community, and specifically, a community of learning.
As one participant shared with her student clinicians:
“I have really enjoyed the times I have had with you. You have inspired me to be more confident in my abilities. Thank you for all of your help, and I hope I was able to help you a little too!”
The energy within the student-run Neuro Pro Bono Group is different; it’s collaborative, curious, and vibrant—a cross-generational community where participants come together to celebrate each other’s victories and uplift one another through shared successes.
Likewise, participants aren’t just recipients of care; they impart knowledge through their lived experiences, helping shape the clinicians of tomorrow. Participants tell us this is one reason they return year after year, recognizing their vital role in helping students bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice while finding a sense of belonging within a longstanding community.
The Role of Experiential Learning in Occupational and Physical Therapy Education
Creating the framework for all this magic is extremely gratifying for faculty and staff, but it does not come without challenges. It requires soliciting and screening participants to ensure sufficient student-to-client ratios, providing adequate student preparation via structured expectations and guidance, modeling effective communication and supervision, and managing administrative responsibilities.
But the Neuro Pro Bono Group also serves as a reminder of why we do what we do as educators and why people choose occupational therapy and physical therapy professions in the first place. Not for perfect protocols, but for human connection, growth, and impact on overall well-being and health literacy.
About the Authors
This article was written by Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy MaryAnn Kniska, PT, DPT, and Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy and Fieldwork Coordinator Courtney Taylor, OT, OTD, OTR, CSRS – faculty members at American International College.
To learn more about joining the Neuro Pro Bono Group or about AIC’s Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs, visit Programs – School of Health Sciences – AIC.