30 Years of Results

A student does an experiment during summer study.

A rich body of evaluation and research data has been collected on DO-IT programs. It includes reports from participants, parents, mentors, and other stakeholders who glean the value of program interventions. Some of the results are summarized below:

  • Parents of DO-IT Scholars report that DO-IT increased their children’s interest in college; awareness of career options; self-esteem; and self-advocacy, social, academic, and employment skills.
  • DO-IT Scholars report that DO-IT participation helped them prepare for college and employment; develop Internet, self-advocacy, computer, social, and independent living skills; increase awareness of career options; and increase self-esteem and perseverance.
  • DO-IT Scholars say that the greatest effects of the Summer Study experience are the development of social skills, followed by academic and career skills.
  • DO-IT Scholars consider themselves significantly improved in academic skills, social skills, levels of preparation for college and employment, levels of awareness of career options, and personal characteristics such as perseverance and self-esteem during the course of their participation in the DO-IT Scholars program.
  • DO-IT Scholars report the value of online communication for peer, near peer, and mentor support, which included being able to stay close to friends and family; to get answers to specific questions; to meet people from around the world; and to communicate with many people at one time independently and without disclosing their disabilities.
  • Those who participated in work-based learning opportunities report increased motivation to work toward a career; knowledge about careers and the workplace; job-related skills; ability to work with supervisors and coworkers; and skills in self-advocating for accommodations.
  • DO-IT mentors report engagement with participants around STEM, college, disability, careers, computers, assistive technology, and the Internet.

Participants in the AccessSTEM/AccessComputing/DO-IT Longitudinal Transition Study (ALTS) highly rate the value of DO-IT activities they consider most beneficial and which are most important for achieving positive postsecondary outcomes. Check out the current results of this ongoing study at www.uw.edu/doit/2016-report-accessstemaccesscomputingdo-it-longitudinal-....