Kari Santos, Ma, Ctrs, Adac Email & Phone Number

Galesburg, Il, Us

As the Assistant to the Associate Dean and the Director of the Library, I am dedicated to enhancing operational efficiency and supporting faculty initiatives within our institution. My role encompasses a diverse range of responsibilities, including budgeting, faculty reimbursement, and travel organization, all aimed at facilitating effective faculty management and business transactions. I assist in organizing workshops and conferences that promote academic development.I actively support several key committees, such as Faculty Research or Creative Work Grants, the Abolition Lab, and the Assessment Committee, where I contribute to innovative projects and assessments. Additionally, I assist the college with program and department evaluations, playing a crucial role in supporting accreditation processes and ensuring academic quality. I also lead the Library's DEIA team meetings, advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. My commitment is to foster a collaborative environment that empowers faculty and strengthens the library's impact.

National ADA Symposium, Kansas City, MO, Spring 2023Presentation title: The Business of Recreation: Creating a refreshed workforceIowa's Inclusive Therapeutic Recreation Association, Ankeny, IA, Spring 23Presentation: Where work comes to play: Introduction to client community building with Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation ServicesUniversity of Iowa, Reach Program, Digital Guest Lecturer, Spring 2023Presented on behalf of Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services to discuss how IVRS can assist and business services.Winona State University, Digital Guest Lecturer, Spring 2020Presentation title: From Papers to Programs (how assessments, documentation, and evaluations impact programming)Iowa Inclusive and Therapeutic Recreation Association, Spring 2019Presentation title: The Secret Life of SeniorsIowa Therapeutic Recreation Association, Spring 2018Presentation title: Say Selfie! Using photography to improve your workIowa Therapeutic Recreation Association, Spring 2017 Presentation title: Cyber-Seniors: How to teach older adults about technologySenior Housing Life Enrichment Coordinators and Managers Meeting, Summer 2016Presentation title: It's Not All Fun and GamesSenior Housing Life Enrichment Coordinators and Managers Meeting, Summer 2016Presentation title: Activities: Trends & ToolboxesSenior Housing Life Enrichment Coordinators and Managers MeetingJune 21, 2015Presented: It’s Not All Fun and GamesSenior Housing Life Enrichment Coordinators and Managers MeetingJune 21, 2015Presented: Activities: Trends & ToolboxesIowa Therapeutic Recreation Association, Spring 2014Presentation title: Nature Programming in the City

Working with individuals with disabilities to achieve their employment and career goals. My role is to assist counselors with college level caseloads. I provide direct support and services to our clients, and process behind the scenes items. Daily duties can range from financial documentations, clinical paperwork, data entry, administrative duties, case noting, scheduling, and more. An additional role I hold is as a Business Services committee member. Representing the Iowa City Area Office in making connections and partnerships with Business to spread the word of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.

Coralville, Iowa, United States

Assisted in starting up a brand new retirement community. From creating daily programming for assisted living & dementia care residents to assisting in planning for the large christening events of the building. Served as Interim Executive Director for three months. Built community involvement and connections to larger community.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Area

Everyday I enhance the lives of my residents by bringing them a variety of programs that meet their interests and overall needs (emotional, cognitive, spiritual, physical, or social). The calendars I create are based off of activity interests and pursuits, gained from assessments and initial interviews conducted after a new resident moves in. On a daily basis I am running anywhere from six to twelve programs, including speciality programs designed for our memory care unit. In addition to daily programming, I oversee my department (which includes two other employees and often interns). Responsibilities include budgeting, communication with the larger Cedar Rapids community to bring in or travel to programs, staff education, community newsletter creation and distribution, social media management, and speciality projects working with the Alzheimer's Association. In addition I mentor students completing their internships, and recruit new interns and volunteers.

Iowa City, Iowa Area

I teach a course titled Therapeutic Recreation: Clientele. The purpose of the course is to help students entering into helping professions (TR/RT, OT, PT, etc.) gain introductory knowledge about various diseases and conditions they may work with. The course begins with conditions and diseases of early childhood and continues through the stages of life, ending with older adults. A unique aspect of this course is the variety of guest speakers and panelists invited to speak. This provides students the opportunity to meet and connect with individuals working in the field with these particular clients. It allows students to make those connections, as well as gaining insight as to what the panelists job truly looks like. This will help students make informed decisions on what population they eventually will want to work with. The course consists of approximately sixty students, and I teach it once every spring semester.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Area

As an intern I gained valuable insight to my profession by leading and assisting in group and one-on-one programs with residents. I learned how to develop effective team relationships with employers, staff members, and residents. I was able to gain experience with MDS assessments and digital documentation programs.

Iowa City, Iowa Area

Teaching Assistant, Department of Health & Human Physiology, The University of Iowa, 2013 - 2015 Perspectives on Leisure and Play, Leisure Studies• Led 13 sections of discussion with approximately 20-25 students per section. Duties included course instruction, student assessment and grading, and course evaluation.Therapeutic Recreation: Rehabilitation, Leisure Studies • Assisted with one section of approximately 40 students. Duties included addressing student questions on material. Concepts/Issues in Therapeutic Recreation: Professional Advancement, Leisure Studies• Assisted with one section of approximately 40 students. Duties included addressing student questions on material.Therapeutic Recreation: Clientele, Leisure Studies• Assisted with one section of approximately 80 students. Duties included assisting the professor as needed.

Iowa City, Iowa Area

Encourage and created outdoor learning experiences for children of all ages. My favorite skills to teach included GPS/Geocaching, canoeing, solar cooking, shelter building, bird watching/listening, and more. Worked in a variety of nature settings, including prairie, oak Savannah, and water ways.

Iowa City, Iowa Area

In this position I was responsible for before and after school care of preschool aged children. As lead in the room I set up a variety of daily activities to encourage growth in their skills and abilities. Connecting with their teacher we were able to continue skills learned in the classroom to their after school setting.

Winona, Mn

Working for Parks and Recreation gave me a wide variety of experiences and skills sets. I often worked with children at the East End Recreation Center. This center provided a variety of after school based activities for children and teens to get involved in. From community projects such as gardening, to pick up basketball games. I also worked at Lake Lodge, renting out ice skates to community members, and through their various summer camps. One specialty project I worked on while there was teaching a low income children's cooking class. I took items that they would find in their pantry, or items that would be very cheap for parents to purchase and taught children how to safely cook. A large focus of the course was how to cook healthy on a budget. On the flip side of that I assisted my manager in cake decorating classes that were geared towards adults. Through this position I was able to work with every age range, preschool to adults.

Wabasha, Mn

As a program specialist I was in charge of taking care of four bald eagles and one golden eagle. Daily I presented programs to the public to educate them about the eagles. I would bring an eagle into each program so visitors could watch the eagle eat, and see these majestic birds up close and personal. We also did photos with the visitors and the eagles so they could have a memento to take home. I also often traveled with the eagles to present special programs at a variety of settings, including nursing homes, schools, and event centers. I specialized in creating programs for unique groups, such a groups with disabilities and Project Get Outdoors (Project GO). Project GO takes children who live in the city and teaches them outdoor experiences and skills. Other duties included data entry for the Gold Eagle Research Project, and transporting injured birds to the Raptor Center with the University of Minnesota.

Winona, Mn

Prepared students to enter the workforce by helping them prepare for interviews. Beyond discussing interview etiquette I also connected them with potential good company matches based on their resume descriptions. A large responsibility was assisting in planning and setting up the annual Career Fair on campus. There I would connect with hundreds of potential employers to help them find students who met their job needs.

Master'S Degree, Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

Bachelor'S Degree, Natural Resource Recreation And Tourism