The staff of the University of Guam’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research, and Service staff at the center’s 25^th anniversary celebration on Feb. 13 at The Westin Resort Guam. (From left) Bernadine Reyes, Student Office Assistant; Nancy Cueto, Fiscal Manager; EDLynn Beyond, Student Office Assistant; Jenika Ballesta, Research Associate; Tia Pereda, Office Technician; Jef Limtiaco, Grant Specialist; June De Leon, Associate Director; Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Director; Bonnie Brandt, Training Associate; Dr. Robert A. Underwood, UOG President; Vera Blaz, Training Associate; Ruth Leon Guerrero, Office Technician; Margaret Johnson, Data and Developed Products Assistant; Joseph John Mendiola, Interoperability Data Manager; Leah Abelon, Research Associate; Dolores Cruz, Grant Budget Supervisor; Shawni Acfalle, Assistive Technology Center Assistant; Marie Wusstig, Training Associate; and Keith Villaluna, Data Specialist.

UOG’s CEDDERS secures five years of federal funding

The University of Guam’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research, and Service has been awarded $2.74 million in federal grant assistance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The grant will serve as the base funding for the center, providing $547,000 per year.

The funding will allow CEDDERS to continue its mission to “create partnerships and pathways to increase the quality of life of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.” Through its core functions — interdisciplinary training, technical assistance, research, and dissemination of information — CEDDERS supports the full inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in all aspects of the community life. The grant will primarily support interdisciplinary training and technical assistance to the community.

“The five-year workplan we highlighted in our grant application was based on input from self-advocates, their parents, and service-providing entities in an effort to really target and serve the unique needs of individuals with developmental disabilities in Guam,” said Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Director of CEDDERS.

One of those unique needs, she said, is serving a culturally and linguistically diverse population.

“This core grant funding will help us focus on three areas of emphasis including the showcasing of assistive technology products that have a universal, culturally competent design,” San Nicolas said. In addition to assistive technology, the grant award’s focus areas include quality assurance and early intervention/education.

The core grant enables CEDDERS to apply for other grants and contracts to fund the center’s numerous projects. UOG CEDDERS has generated more than $135 million in funding in its past 25 years as a nationally designated Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities.

“UOG CEDDERS is one of the most prolific grant-writing and grant-winning units at UOG,” said UOG President Robert A. Underwood. “This hard work has resulted in the availability of numerous — often times, life-changing — technologies and services for individuals with developmental disabilities in Guam and throughout the region.

Among CEDDERS projects are a demonstration system supporting the acquisition and use of assistive technologies and an early hearing detection and intervention program for all newborns. The center is also influential in the region, providing technical assistance and on-site support for disability programs in the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

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About the UOG CEDDERS Program:

The University of Guam’s Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service is one of 67 nationally designated Centers of Excellence funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the U.S. federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services responsible for implementing and administering the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.

CEDDERS houses a number of projects and engages in multiple partnerships, including with the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program at Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, and with the Speech Pathology Master’s Level training program with San Jose State University. Please visit www.guamcedders.org for more information, resources, and upcoming events.