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OurOur Mission:Mission: HelpHelp bridgebridge thethe equityequity gap in employment opportunities for underserved groups.

Our Goal: Create More Opportunities.

We are pursuing this mission within the context of the Grand Challenges of Social Work by seeking to Harness Technology for Social Good, Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth, Promote Smart Decarceration, and Eradicate Social Isolation. Specifically, we develop, evaluate, and support the implementation of computerized simulations with virtual characters that Level Up one’s employment skills to help them get and keep their job.

WeWe harnessharness technologytechnology forfor socialsocial goodgood and healthy development for all youth and adults.

Virtual Interview Training = Meaningful Support + More Jobs

Youth ages 16 to 26 receiving special education services have critically low employment rates compared to their peers without disabilities. We aim to help enhance federally-mandated transition services supporting youth receiving special education services in high school or post-secondary educational settings.

OurOur LatestLatest NewsNews

Highlights from our latest accomplishments

Congratulations to Level Up Lab Director Matt Smith on his appointment as Associate Dean for Research through the School of Social Work!

Congratulations to Level Up Lab director, Matthew Smith PhD., MSW, who was recently appointed Associate Dean for Research with the School of Social Work!

$3.16M NIH Grant Allows the Lab to Offer Virtual Job Interview Training to Autistic Students in Michigan and California

An accomplishment acknowledgment for Ph.D. Candidate Kari Sherwood, MS, MEd, MSW for receiving a 2023-24 CEW+ Award naming her a Mary Malcomson Raphael Scholar.

Ph.D. Candidate, Kari Sherwood, MS, MEd, MSW, Named a 2023-24 Mary Malcomson Raphael Scholar by U-M CEW+!

Virtual Reality Job Interview Training: An Enhancement to IPS Supported Employment for Adults with Serious Mental Illness

Dr. Matthew J. Smith Named Next Associate Dean For Research

New Paper Published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

OurOur ImpactImpact by the NumbersNumbers

Join us as we gain more community partners (e.g., schools, prisons, vocational rehabilitation agencies), trainees, and access to jobs for underserved and marginalized groups through our research and implementation support efforts.

90

Community Partners

950

Trainees

301

Jobs Attained

LearnLearn HowHow toto LevelLevel UpUp

Follow our journey and research in supporting youth and adults as they level up around the country

2023: Leveling Up Pre-Employment Transition Services

2022: Virtual Job Interview Training in Special Education

Community Mental Health Impact

What Teachers and Administrators Say

Funded ByBy

OUR MISSION

At the Level Up: Employment Skills Simulation Lab, we help bridge the equity gap in employment opportunities for underserved groups by harnessing technology for social good, ensuring healthy development for all youth, promoting smart decarceration, and eradicating social isolation.

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CONTACT

University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106