MOTA Awards and Scholarships

MOTA Scholarships

Applications for  the 2008 scholarship will be available  in September.  Applicants  for either scholarship must be a member of the Missouri Occupational Therapy  Association.  The students must be currently enrolled in an accredited Occupational Therapy program. The scholarship winners will be recognized at the Fall MOTA Conference.

The Susan Scheckley Barnes Scholarship: Susan Sheckley Barnes graduated from the St. Louis School of Occupational Therapy, currently the Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy, in 1928 and was one of  the pioneers in the early years of our profession.  She combined kindness  and grace with a remarkable ability to organize and
motivate people.  The Susan Sheckley Barnes scholarship is given to an entry level student who best demonstrates  the characteristics that Susan embraced:  generosity, altruism, creativity,  leadership, resourcefulness and optimism.

The MOTA Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to a student demonstrating leadership, scholarship, financial need and volunteerism.  This award is based on cumulative GPA, volunteer experience related to Occupational Therapy, employment history, membership in professional organizations as well as financial need.

If you have questions about either scholarship, please contact the Scholarship Co-Chairs , please contact Mary Frances Daniel  mfrdjd@swbell.net at or Carol Ponciroli at cpotrl@aol.net.

Congratulations to this year's winners!

The winner of the 2007 Susan Sheckley Barnes scholarship was Hillarie Christley from Washington University.

The winner of the 2007 MOTA scholarship was Marge Cheesman from Ozark Technical College. 

MOTA Awards

Nominating someone for a MOTA Award is a great way to recognize skillful clinicians, creative thinkers, and change agents in the field of occupational therapy. Awards are announced and presented during the fall conference.
For more information, contact Nominations Chair Chris Gonzalez at cgsinmo@aol.com. Note: All nominees must be members of MOTA.

Award of Merit

This is the highest honor given to the OT or COTA who actively promotes OT in a variety of areas and has affected the work of many through clinical practice, teaching, management or research.

Outstanding Clinician: Recognizes the therapist who is a “master clinician,” provides exceptional service, and is respected for their skill and clinical reasoning and goes above and beyond the call of duty.

COTA Award of Excellence: Honors a COTA who serves as a mentor for others with strong clinical skills and has developed exceptional relationships with other therapists, clients, staff, and family members.

Outstanding Administrator/Supervisor: Recognizes the administrator, supervisor, or educator who promotes professionalism, quality care, and development of the profession and serves as a positive role model for staff.

Outstanding Service to the Organization: Recognizes exceptional Occupational Therapy practitioners who volunteer time, energy and skills to the Missouri Occupational Therapy Association and the community. These practitioners are dedicated to serving the members and the community by promoting the mission of MOTA.