Transform Your Career with the Global Scholars Cross-Cultural International Experience Certificate Program

Join us this summer for a unique learning opportunity in partnership with Pepperdine University!

The Global Scholars Cross-Cultural International Experience Certificate Program, presented by Smiles for Speech in partnership with Pepperdine University's GSEP Center for Global Partnerships & Learning, is designed for undergraduate and master's students, as well as SLP professionals. This immersive program offers a blend of virtual coursework and an in-country learning experience in Ghana.

Led by the esteemed Sandy Dorsey, MA, CCC-SLP, TSHH, a renowned speech-language pathologist with over 30 years of experience, the program combines cutting-edge coursework, clinical practice, and cultural exploration. Participants will gain:

• Sustainable, culturally responsive assessment and intervention strategies.

• Opportunities to collaborate with global leaders.

• Insights to better serve multilingual and multicultural clients.

This program aligns with Smiles for Speech's mission to support underserved communities by bridging the gap in access to essential speech therapy resources and education.

Program Details:

• Virtual Coursework: July 17–August 7, 2025 (Pepperdine GSEP).

• In-Person Experience: July 27–August 5, 2025 (Ghana).

Take this step to broaden your expertise, embrace cultural humility, and gain a global perspective.

Contact us for more information: hello@smilesforspeech.org.

Richardson, Texas — Parkinson Voice Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the voices of people with Parkinson’s, named Smiles for Speech a 2024 SPEAK OUT! Grant Program recipient.

Grant recipients include hospitals, universities, private practices, and other organizations providing speech therapy across the United States and abroad. Each Clinical Education grant recipient receives training for their speech-language pathologists and students, SPEAK OUT! eLibrary access, and the opportunity for SPEAK OUT! workbooks and other materials.

The SPEAK OUT! Grant Program honors the late Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D., a world-renowned speech-language pathologist who recognized in the 1950s that individuals with Parkinson's could improve their communication by “speaking with intent." Based on Boone’s teachings and developed by Parkinson Voice Project, the SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program is a highly effective, comprehensive program that helps people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders regain and retain their speech and swallowing. By combining individual and group SPEAK OUT! Therapy with ongoing patient and family education, people with Parkinson’s learn to transition speech from an automatic function to an intentional act.

“Up to 90% of people with Parkinson’s are at risk of losing their ability to speak. In addition, swallowing complications account for 70% of the mortality rate in this patient population. Our vision at Parkinson Voice Project is to make quality speech therapy accessible to people with Parkinson’s worldwide,” said Samantha Elandary, Parkinson Voice Project’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer.

As a 2024 SPEAK OUT! Grant Program recipient, Smiles for Speech is committed to offering Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! Therapy Program to help people with Parkinson’s and related neurological disorders in their community.

About Parkinson Voice Project
Parkinson Voice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization solely dedicated to improving speech and communication in individuals with Parkinson’s.  The organization is headquartered in Richardson, Texas and has trained more than 10,000 clinicians in more than 40 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Israel, Greece, Lebanon, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, South Africa, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.