COLUMBUS – Beginning with the spring 2015 semester, college students enrolled in select classes at the
University of Cincinnati have the opportunity to receive college credit for driving older adults in the
community through a pilot project called Driving Community Connections. The Independent Transportation
Network (ITN) of Greater Cincinnati has been incorporated into new and existing courses and will provide
students with the ability to engage with Ohio’s elders, learn about the aging process and meet a need in
their local community.
"I commend University of Cincinnati for embracing an innovative way to fill a key need in the
community while also giving students an invaluable learning experience that they won’t find in any
textbook," said Bonnie K. Burman, Sc.D., director of the Ohio Department of Aging. "They will
learn that generations are interdependent and that Ohio thrives when we support each other."
"This is about community connections – not just connecting older adults with their destinations, but
connecting generations to one another," added Santa J. Ono, president of the University of
Cincinnati. "We have partnered with ITN of Greater Cincinnati to not only provide older Ohioans
with transportation options that allow them to stay engaged in their community and age in place, but
also give students insight into aging issues and what their elders have to offer."
ITN is the first and only national non-profit transportation system for America’s aging population. It
creates an efficient and financially sustainable solution to the transportation needs of seniors and the
visually impaired. ITN and the University of Cincinnati have partnered to recruit students as volunteers
who provide rides for older adults in the local community. Other partners, such as local businesses, are
encouraged to support recruitment community engagement efforts.
Adults who join ITN become dues-paying members of an organization committed to their independence and
mobility. Like using one’s own automobile, the ITN service is available 24/7 and gives customers the
flexibility to schedule their rides in advance or as needed, as well as the option to ride alone or with
others, as they please, to destinations of their choice.
"While we have worked with universities on volunteer recruitment in the past, ITNAmerica has never
had the opportunity to work with a university at this level," said Katherine Freund, President and
Founder of ITNAmerica. "We look forward to the collaboration and are proud of ITN of Greater
Cincinnati for building such constructive and collaborative bridges into the community. We have every
confidence that the outcome of this project will be replicable in Ohio and across the country."
