University of Florida Department of Physical Therapy

The Nicaragua Service Learning Project

For the past several years, faculty from the University of Florida Department of Physical Therapy have taken physical therapy students to Managua, Nicaragua. These faculty and students teach one course each year on a topic relevant to physical therapy practice, ranging from proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques to shoulder impingement. The success of these trips is a result of the combined efforts of numerous individuals who helped translate teaching material, donate equipment for distribution (medical supplies and toys for pediatric clinics), and provide monetary donations to offset travel expenses.

Our mission is to improve the quality of physical therapy care in Nicaragua by providing in-depth, hands-on instructional courses for professors and local clinicians. These courses combine instruction with patient treatment in hospitals and local clinics and are designed to enhance the Classroom content of the current curriculum and standards of physical therapy practice in Nicaragua. We hope that by educating the “educators” we will have the greatest impact on the standards of practice throughout the country. This opportunity also exposes physical therapy students to clinical practice in developing countries and offers students a unique educational experience that stimulates creativity, enhances an awareness of cultural barriers, and often encourages students to seek out additional opportunities to share their professional knowledge.