SkillCorps Trip Reflections, with Andrew Bennett, Brittney Paye, and Jessie Sheahan | TBT

Discover what’s possible when you step outside of your comfort zone and embrace the unknown. 

Andrew Bennett, Brittney Paye, and Jessie Sheahan have all traveled with the Global Autism Project over the years on SkillCorps® volunteer trips to our various partner sites, including ABA Centrum in the Czech Republic and SOREM in India. 

As our CEO Molly mentioned in episode 2, SkillCorps® is an opportunity for professionals and self-advocates to provide meaningful training to our partners around the world. 

We send out teams of up to 15 people twice a year for 10 days at a time. The team members are complete strangers when they meet for orientation in NY, and by the end of their two-week trip, oftentimes they’ve become best friends. I still keep in touch with many of my teammates that I’ve traveled with.

So far, over 1,000 volunteers are part of our Skillcorps® Alumni community, and many are repeat travelers. Time and again, SkillCorps® alumni have expressed to us that their two-week trips have transformed their lives and relationships. 

Each SkillCorps® team has a trip leader and sometimes a leader-in-training. Andrew, Brittney, and Jessie have all attended Leadership Academy, which is an intensive multi-day workshop that we offer for future trip leaders to discover their leadership style. 

All three guests have different backgrounds related to autism. Andrew is an autism self-advocate and BCaBA, working with children on the spectrum. Brittney is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who implements Applied Behavior Analysis to train dogs. Jessie is a licensed school psychologist and has used ABA strategies in her daily work. 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

• What Andrew, Brittney, and Jessie have learned about themselves and how they continue to apply these insights to their personal and professional growth
• An inspiring story Andrew shares about his outreach initiatives on a SkillCorps® trip to the Czech Republic
• How Brittney’s leadership skills have empowered her to take a stand in different aspects of her life
• Jessie’s takeaways from collaborating with a diverse team of professionals
• The clinical training model that is implemented on our SkillCorps® trips 
• Why it’s important to always prioritize sustainability
• How using the Socratic approach fosters critical thinking skills in the learner
• Cultural humility and how it’s practiced on SkillCorps® trips
• Helpful tips for future SkillCorps® volunteers

This conversation with Andrew Bennett, Brittney Paye, and Jessie Sheahan was originally released on April 28, 2020.

You can find more information about our SkillCorps® program at globalautismproject.org. 

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