October 14, 2025
CPL Primary Lead Dr. Ryan Lavalley delivered the keynote address for the West Virginia Occupational Therapy Association’s 29th Annual Conference in Charleston, WV last week. In his keynote, “Fire in the Mountain: What Occupational Therapy Can Learn from Appalachian Resilience,” Ryan spoke about how lessons learned from Appalachian history and resilience can inform an expansion …
September 16, 2025
The Carolina Center for Public Service has accepted CPL Lead Dr. Lauren Selingo into the Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar Program for the 2025-2027 cycle. The program’s community-engaged curriculum and stipend will support Lauren’s community-engaged research around substance use among older adults and caregivers in Orange County. Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars participate in a highly interactive, …
September 9, 2025
The Community Practice Lab (CPL) has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne on a community engagement strategy to support Habitat’s development work in Webbtown, a historically Black neighborhood of Goldsboro, NC. The strategy and resources will support local leaders, partners, and Habitat staff to engage thoughtfully with Webbtown residents as Habitat constructs McNair Heights, …
May 15, 2025
Students in Dr. Ryan Lavalley’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Community Practice course in spring 2025 partnered with community organizations to advance inclusion for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Students designed and/or contributed to initiatives in a wide range of sectors, including education, housing, advocacy, and wellness. In the MSOT course, Ryan …
April 28, 2025
Isabelle Norman has produced a report analyzing the potential of community-led land banks to preserve affordable housing and neighborhood stability amid competitive housing markets. The report, developed in partnership with the Community Practice Lab (CPL), also identifies other Orange County communities that are currently at risk of displacement and recommends best practices for community stakeholders …
March 14, 2025
The Community Practice Lab (CPL) hosted Yuriko Hosono for two weeks in February-March 2025 to facilitate cross-cultural discussions on community occupational practice, community-engaged research, and community-based models to support older adults. The visit is the latest in the CPL’s ongoing collaboration with Nagoya University in Japan. “After connecting with Nagoya University this past fall around …
January 16, 2025
The Marian Cheek Jackson Center, in partnership with the Community Practice Lab, received a $40,000 grant from Carol Woods to advance community-led eldercare initiatives in the Northside community. The CPL team supported the writing of the grant, and CPL Community Program Specialist Kevin Giff will coordinate the Jackson Center’s development of local, affordable, and culturally …
November 12, 2024
Community Practice Lab (CPL) Primary Lead Dr. Ryan Lavalley and CPL Community Engagement Fellow Sayoko Kawabata facilitated cross-university partnership and shared knowledge rooted in community occupation during a September 2024 trip to Japan. First, Ryan and Sayoko traveled to Saitama to attend the Japanese Society for the Study of Occupation’s 2024 Annual Conference, where Ryan …
September 16, 2024
Kevin Giff received the 2024 School of Medicine Dean’s Performance Award for his community engagement work through the Community Practice Lab (CPL). The award honors Giff’s support of housing and community development initiative with HOPE NC and Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. The Dean’s Performance Awards recognizes individual or group efforts that make significant …
August 19, 2024
The Community Practice Lab (CPL) concluded three years of partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County (Habitat) in summer 2024. The CPL has supported Habitat in developing and implementing sustainable processes for community engagement. Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, an affiliate of the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity International, helps families build and improve …