Describe at least 5 partnerships with individuals and/or organizations that have been formed to support your project and that impact the success or failure of your venture.
| Partnerships | Impact |
| Sierra Leone Autistic Society | -We have access to work with the children with autism in SL.
-We have access to their resources for training materials (pictures/videos). -They will be a contact/resource for families with children with autism, or for those that are showing signs of autism. |
| World Hope International | -World Hope International will help with travel in SL.
-World Hope International will be interpreters if there are language barriers. -World Hope International will be able to locate and refer us to families, schools, and children. -Will provide us with internet, communication, accommodations. |
| University of Makeni | -We have access to their resources when we hold training in SL (healthcare workers, school teachers, community health workers).
-We are able to collaborate with professors to hold trainings for the college students. |
| GSIF/Khanjan at Lehigh University | -We have access to other teams’ connections and resources
-We have access to Khanjan’s contacts and the relationships that he has built. -Provides opportunities to receive free advice and critiques |
| INSAR research group | Dr. Morin and Alyssa have been attending a new subgroup through INSAR that completes some type of educational research in any part of Africa. This group meets on a bi-monthly basis and follows a goal of collaboration which helps positively impact our venture as we are using this research group to: (1) ask for research advice to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes, (2) prep our materials for culturally appropriateness and (3) learn from others about funding opportunities. |
Please identify partnerships at the individual, team, and Lehigh / GSIF level.
Partnerships at the Individual level
- Dr. Kristi Morin
- Alyssa
- Kathleen
- Emily
- Grace
- Ted
- Lindsey
- Kelsey
Partnerships at the Team level
- Diagnosing Autism in SL research group
- Qualitative Expert: Suzanne Kucharczyk
- Khanjan Mehta
- Lehigh University
Partnerships at the GSIF level
- University of Makeni
- World Hope International
- Sierra Leone Autistic Society
- INSAR research group
| Partnerships | What constituted the partnership? | How did the partner help you? How did you help them? | Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not? | What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable? |
| Sierra Leone Autistic Society | Relatively infrequent conversations on objectives of partnership on both sides (how we could help one another) and the steps needed to accomplish that. | They are helping us refine our screener to be as culturally relevant. We helped them by obtaining donations of Augmentative Alternative Communication materials and devices as well as our knowledge on Evidence Based Practices for children with ASD. | Yes it is. Both sides are contributing a common goal which is essentially the betterment of livelihoods for those with ASD. See previous box for specifics. | More communication would allow us to collaborate more. Since the development of our screener relies on extensive cultural knowledge, a quicker back and forth dialogue would enrich the partnership even more. We could then use our formed screener and dissemination plan to help them access more resources. |
| World Hope International | World Hope International is partnering with our venture as a joint collaboration similar to how WHI partners with other GSIF teams. They will provide transportation and interpreters on the ground as well as connections to further the venture that we are unable to make quickly as our relationships are not developed in Sierra Leone. | We plan to work heavily with World Hope during fieldwork and this team has not completed any field work for this venture yet. Thus far, they have provided us with countless connections to other community organizations and families and we have provided them with expertise in the area of autism. | In the future yes. We have committed to a symbiotic partnership but have not completed field work where this relationship will be tested. Currently, our relationship is symbiotic in a more abstract way as we work from a distance with WHI. | More open and frequent communication to maintain the relationship and develop it further |
| University of Makeni | The University of Makeni is partnering with us in order to help develop trainings and curriculum which will be used to help bring about awareness of disabilities within different settings. | This partner will help us advance our venture, as we will be able to collaborate with professors and students to develop our training. We will be able to help them out by bringing our expertise and research abilities to help further education on the topic. | Yes, because we are both collaborating to improve education for disabilities present within Sierra Leone. | More frequent communication would strengthen this partnership as well as developing a curriculum sharing method to best disseminate Western evidence-based practices to special educators in training in Sierra Leone. |
| GSIF and Khanjan at Lehigh University | GSIF provides us with the skills needed in order to advance our venture in the most efficient and ethical way. Khanjan also connects us with contacts on the ground. We provide projects of substance for advancing Lehigh’s name | This partner will provide credibility and opportunities for connections to advance our venture. We are able to work with other teams with goals in the same region as us. We help them by helping other teams in the program and advancing the program’s overall goal for creative inquiry. | Our relationship with this partner is symbiotic because both sides benefit. Our team gains access to the connections with GSIF and the other teams within GSIF gain access to us. We use the credibility of the program while also improving its credibility. | More frequent communication with other teams in order to determine mutual goals. |
| INSAR research group | This research group is based on members of INSAR, a leading international research organization focused on Autism Spectrum Disorders that identified the need for collaboration of efforts of researchers who complete work in Africa. | This research group has only met once thus far since inception, therefore no specific takeaways are available yet. | Yes, the research group was created as a collaborative space to learn from one another and share expertise | More meetings to develop personal relationships with the other researchers |