By Greg Williams and Lindsey Schroeder
The NATA Education Advancement Committee (EAC) was established in 2015 as a committee under the Executive Council for Education. The mission of the committee is to identify short- and long-term educational research priorities, advance evidence-based scholarship and assess best practices related to athletic training education in order to enhance clinical practice and patient care. EAC aims to assist athletic trainers in the development and execution of their research agendas related to education.
In an effort to advance educational research, EAC sponsors a session at the NATA Clinical Symposia & AT Expo as well as the Education Research Forum during the Athletic Training Educators’ Conference. Additionally, EAC is working toward the creation of an educational resource hub that will house pertinent NATA resources in one concise location. Another future project includes the organization of learning communities to connect educators and researchers.
Another way EAC supports the advancement of education is by offering Continuing Professional Development in Educational Scholarship Grant. The purpose of the grant is to help a researcher gain a new skill or collaborate with a partner in order to move their research agenda forward. The goal of the grant is to expand the number of individuals performing the vital educational research needed to move the profession forward. Up to five $1,000 grants are awarded each June, and applications for this year will be accepted until June 1. The application can be found on the Higher Education resource page.
Read more about athletic training education in the April NATA News, the annual education issue.
