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When you need to find UCF Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Jennifer Tucker 麻豆精品 S�23PhD, chances are she 麻豆精品 S檚 sitting cross-legged on a vinyl floor, tinkering with a child 麻豆精品 S檚 electric car in the College of Health Professions and Sciences Rehabilitation Innovation Center.

Or giving her cellphone number to parents of children with mobility challenges, encouraging them to call with questions or text photos of their kids driving their customized cars around their neighborhoods.

Or organizing dozens of volunteers 麻豆精品 S� ranging from elementary schoolers to college students training to become future physical therapists, educators and engineers 麻豆精品 S� in one of her many hands-on Go Baby Go! workshops throughout the year.

A national, community-based research, design and outreach program, Go Baby Go! provides accessible and inexpensive solutions for kids and adults with limited mobility at no cost to their families.

True to the name of Go Baby Go!, Tucker hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 stopped for a moment since introducing the program at UCF a decade ago. More than 200 cars and happily cruising kids later, Tucker and her team are gaining speed.

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The origin of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Go Baby Go! begins in Spring 2015, roughly 900 miles north of the university 麻豆精品 S檚 main campus, at the University of Delaware. At the time, Tucker was six years into her teaching tenure at UCF. She says, while she loved shaping the next generation of pediatric physical therapists, she missed daily interactions with patients and impacting them as a clinician.

As she searched for a solution to fill that passion, she discovered the University of Delaware 麻豆精品 S檚 Go Baby Go! 麻豆精品 S� the first iteration of the program founded by Cole Galloway. His idea explored promoting mobility through play by modifying electric riding cars through household items including pool noodles, swimming kickboards, PVC pipe and industrial-strength Velcro to fit a child 麻豆精品 S檚 needs.

麻豆精品 S淲e know when we look at children, from the minute they can figure out their arms and legs move, play is how they learn, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says. 麻豆精品 S淐hildren [who] have motor impairments 麻豆精品 S� don 麻豆精品 S檛 get the opportunity to have some of that cause and effect because they stay where they 麻豆精品 S檙e put. They don 麻豆精品 S檛 get to see, 麻豆精品 S業f I do this, then this happens. 麻豆精品 S� And it diminishes their opportunities because the world doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 always come to the child who is still. Many times, they have to go crash into it. That 麻豆精品 S檚 where these modified cars can make a huge difference. 麻豆精品 S�

Tucker goes on to explain the benefits of movement and play as they relate to a child 麻豆精品 S檚 development 麻豆精品 S� affecting cognition, speech and language skills, and self-efficacy.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 麻豆精品 S渆arly learning and play are fundamentally social activities and fuel the development of language and thought. Early learning also combines playful discovery with the development of social-emotional skills. 麻豆精品 S� Plus, 麻豆精品 S減lay has been shown to have both direct and indirect effects on brain structure and functioning 麻豆精品 S� [and] usually enhances curiosity, which facilitates memory and learning. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淪o if we can offer a form of movement in the same moment that their peer would experience in a typical developmental timeline, we can hopefully alter that trajectory and maybe prevent some secondary impairments, like diminished self-efficacy, or speech and language delays, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 the goal. 麻豆精品 S�

Tucker thought Galloway 麻豆精品 S檚 Go Baby Go! had promise and wanted to learn more. She cold-called Galloway on the spot, and he offered to visit Orlando to collaborate on opening a chapter of Go Baby Go! at UCF.

It seemed like a no-brainer 麻豆精品 S� with three children 麻豆精品 S檚 hospitals within a 20-mile radius of the main campus, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 longstanding commitment to community partnership and Orlando 麻豆精品 S檚 reputation as a family-friendly destination.

麻豆精品 S淲hen Cole visited, he said, 麻豆精品 S楯en, this place is magical. If this should happen anywhere, this should happen here, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says.

She adds that UCF was unequivocally supportive when she brought the idea to administration, who asked her what she needed to get started. Two months later, thanks in large part to Go Baby Go! 麻豆精品 S檚 first philanthropic gift from the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida, UCF and the community partnered for the chapter 麻豆精品 S檚 first car-building event.

麻豆精品 S淭hen it just exploded, 麻豆精品 S� she says.

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麻豆精品 S淲e know when we look at children, from the minute they can figure out their arms and legs move, play is how they learn. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jennifer Tucker 麻豆精品 S�23PhD, Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy

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For as long as she can remember, Cami Osier 麻豆精品 S�15 麻豆精品 S�19DPT has been interested in working with children. The push toward physical therapy, she thinks, stems from her own experience observing her older brother 麻豆精品 S檚 progression from therapy after he sustained a stroke at the age of 10.

She says he was told he would never walk again. Years later, he started running half marathons.

In 2016, Osier 麻豆精品 S� who is now the associate director of Go Baby Go! and a pediatric therapist for Balanced Baby, a small business that offers prenatal and newborn services 麻豆精品 S� was deep into her first semester of the doctoral physical therapy program (DPT) at UCF when she says she was struggling with rigorous coursework. She felt very disconnected from her 麻豆精品 S渨hy 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� why she even wanted to become a physical therapist.

Go Baby Go! was gearing up for its second carbuilding event, sponsored by Orlando Health, that would produce 10 motorized, child-size Lightning McQueen vehicles. Despite her limited free time, Osier decided to sign up to help, not knowing much more than it was about 麻豆精品 S渒ids in cars. 麻豆精品 S�

She showed up and put all her studies into practice (while figuring out power tools she had never used before) to lead a team in outfitting a car for a little boy named Asher.

麻豆精品 S淲e did this big race on Memory Mall, and I just wanted to cry. I thought, 麻豆精品 S楾his is why I 麻豆精品 S檓 doing this, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Osier says. 麻豆精品 S淚 knew my purpose, so in that semester I was able to hunker down. Whenever I started to feel that disconnect, I could call back on that moment and remind myself that that was why I was putting myself through the stress of grad school. 麻豆精品 S�

Since then, the program has averaged 10 to 15 workshops from August through May annually to benefit children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old with mobility issues stemming from Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and osteogenesis, among others.

Every DPT student at UCF is exposed to Go Baby Go! because of the academic program 麻豆精品 S檚 curriculum requirements. Participation is not mandatory, but Tucker says inevitably a core group of students every year commits to volunteering every chance they can.

Cait Wilkerson 麻豆精品 S�20 麻豆精品 S�23DPT, who now works locally as a pediatric therapist at BrightStart Pediatrics, was one of those students. She still shows up around Tucker 麻豆精品 S檚 lab and Go Baby Go! events. She 麻豆精品 S檚 even referred some of her patients to the program.

麻豆精品 S淚 wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 interested in pediatrics at first, 麻豆精品 S� says Wilkerson, who was hired at BrightStart immediately after graduation. 麻豆精品 S淕oing to Go Baby Go! events made me want to do it more. Now with my job, I work with super complex kids, and my experience at UCF and with Go Baby Go! and Dr. Tucker prepared me for that. It has had a huge impact on what I do now, and why I 麻豆精品 S檓 passionate about my job. 麻豆精品 S�

Over the last decade, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Go Baby Go! has built up such a reputation that prospective students talk about it in their interviews as they look to gain acceptance into the doctoral program. It 麻豆精品 S檚 gone international, too, with partnerships in Belgium and Wales. It formed a community advisory board in May 2025 with 13 partners, including Wilkerson, all ready to work together to make children 麻豆精品 S檚 lives better and the community stronger.

As word has gotten around, students from other majors have gotten involved. College of Engineering and Computer Science students have helped with the re-wiring required for the cars to go at the push of a button. Education and psychology majors have asked to join, and one College of Medicine student was so impacted by her experience at a build that she asked Tucker to serve as her research mentor. That alum is now training to be a neuro-developmental pediatrician.

麻豆精品 S淭he students are the engine that runs Go Baby Go! I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 do it without them, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 mutually beneficial for them because this is an opportunity to practice professional skills they are going to need in the workforce: interacting with families, talking with them about a patient 麻豆精品 S檚 strengths, assessing the fit of a child in a device, 麻豆精品 S� she adds. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檙e practicing these skills in a way that 麻豆精品 S檚 so much more impactful because there 麻豆精品 S檚 an actual child in front of them. We 麻豆精品 S檙e problem-solving in real time: 麻豆精品 S楬e can 麻豆精品 S檛 lift his shoulders up. What should we do to the button? 麻豆精品 S� And that 麻豆精品 S檚 a different sort of active learning and problem-based learning that really can 麻豆精品 S檛 be replicated in a classroom. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淚 work with super complex kids, and my experience at UCF and with Go Baby Go! and Dr. Tucker prepared me for that. It has had a huge impact on what I do now. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Cait Wilkerson 麻豆精品 S�20 麻豆精品 S�23DPT, Health Sciences and Physical Therapy Alum

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A blonde toddler diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy sorts through Mickey Mouse and Bluey stickers for a red Mercedes convertible, which arrived by way of Amazon. Yellow pool noodles flank the sides of the car. A swimming kickboard helps support a padded seat insert. A chunk of an orange pool noodle boosts a blue plastic disc on the top of the steering wheel.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檇 like to see him with the chest strap and let 麻豆精品 S檚 bring the button closer. We 麻豆精品 S檒l see if he can do it. I think he can, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says.

The tot is a tad apprehensive at first. His mother places her hand on the newly affixed button.

麻豆精品 S淐an you squish mommy 麻豆精品 S檚 hand? 麻豆精品 S�

Challenge accepted. And completed. He smiles.

麻豆精品 S淚 think this placement makes a big difference, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says.

Tucker then turns to the parents. She gives them two of the three rules she lives by, along with her cellphone number.

No. 1: The car is not therapy. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a toy. Go have fun with your child.

No. 2: Have the child wear a helmet, just like they would on a bike.

And then there 麻豆精品 S檚 No. 3, her biggest rule: The cars don 麻豆精品 S檛 cost anybody anything.

Philanthropy has made that possible through major partnerships with Orlando Health and Variety 麻豆精品 S� the Children 麻豆精品 S檚 Charity of Florida, along with nearly 70 other donors from the community.

麻豆精品 S淧rograms like Go Baby Go! reflect Orlando Health 麻豆精品 S檚 commitment to meeting children where they are and helping them reach their fullest potential, 麻豆精品 S� says Justin Williams, president of the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. 麻豆精品 S淏y supporting innovative initiatives that promote mobility, independence and confidence, we 麻豆精品 S檙e not just enhancing care 麻豆精品 S� we 麻豆精品 S檙e empowering children and their families in meaningful, lasting ways. 麻豆精品 S�

In September 2025, Go Baby Go! welcomed families and partners from the past 10 years to witness then 18-month-old Lucy Luhmann receive the program 麻豆精品 S檚 200th car. The crowd cheered Lucy on as she smiled and drove her white Mercedes car, which matches the vehicle her mom, alumna Jolene Luhmann 麻豆精品 S�19, owns.

Among the crowd was Noelle Adisano, who at age 11 months, was one of the first children to receive a Go Baby Go! car, which included a Minnie Mouse design. Adisano had gross motor delay, which is a lag in development of large muscle groups that control whole-body motions, due to a partially deleted chromosome. She used the car for over a year, which allowed her to venture outside and cruise along the family 麻豆精品 S檚 big circular driveway.

Adisano, now 9, is on to bigger things as a competitive gymnast, following in the footsteps of her big sister, Guiliana.

麻豆精品 S淭hat early intervention was key for her, 麻豆精品 S� says her mother, Aimee.

As Go Baby Go! celebrates a decade of impact, Tucker is still most delighted by the simplest of moments.

麻豆精品 S淚 love when families tell me that their kids are having sibling fights about the car, or they had to childproof their house because their kids were banging the car into the walls, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says. 麻豆精品 S淭hose are really exciting moments because these are important rites of passage in childhood. We visited one home and there were tire tracks all over their backyard. I 麻豆精品 S檝e never been so happy in my entire life. That kid tore up the entire backyard. But that 麻豆精品 S檚 what he 麻豆精品 S檚 supposed to be doing. 麻豆精品 S�

The prospect that excites her most these days is growing UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Kids Building for Kids initiative, which debuted in 2018. So far, they 麻豆精品 S檝e engaged with 2,000 students from Central Florida elementary, middle and high schools in workshops to build cars for children specifically in their communities.

麻豆精品 S淚 think it 麻豆精品 S檚 been deeply impactful for a lot of the kids, particularly when they 麻豆精品 S檙e in middle school and high school, and considering STEM because these kids are so smart, 麻豆精品 S� Osier says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen they get a chance to do something for good, you can just see those light bulbs going off: 麻豆精品 S榃hat else could I create that could make someone else 麻豆精品 S檚 life more enjoyable? Can I use my brain that I 麻豆精品 S檝e been gifted to make something better for someone else? 麻豆精品 S� And I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 so cool. 麻豆精品 S�

Tucker is eagerly awaiting the moment when she starts to teach UCF students who were first exposed to Go Baby Go! as participants in the Kids Building for Kids program.

麻豆精品 S淪ome of these schools we go to year after year 麻豆精品 S� when I walk in, the students say, 麻豆精品 S楬ey, you 麻豆精品 S檙e that Go Baby Go! lady. 麻豆精品 S� And I say, 麻豆精品 S業 am that Go Baby Go! lady, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says with a big smile. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e become a part of their culture, and they associate us with UCF. They get really excited, and they wear their black and gold. These are going to be our future students. We 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have kids come to UCF because they were exposed as middle schoolers and they built a car. I can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait for that. 麻豆精品 S�

And the driving force behind it all is her team 麻豆精品 S檚 unwavering commitment to better the lives of kids.

麻豆精品 S淲e plan to continue to move the needle and hopefully reshape people 麻豆精品 S檚 perspectives about the capacity of children, 麻豆精品 S� Tucker says. 麻豆精品 S淒on 麻豆精品 S檛 define them. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 know who they 麻豆精品 S檙e going to be. 麻豆精品 S�