| Sumario: | With one in four adults in the United States reporting a disability, promoting inclusive practices among future professionals is crucial. Many preservice professionals display apprehension and negative attitudes toward individuals with disabilities (IWDs), revealing a gap in their training. This study examined the impact of a service‐learning (SL) mentorship program on preservice professionals' mentorship efficacy and attitudes toward IWD in a community‐based physical activity setting. A total of 295 college students participated, with the intervention group completing an 8‐week mentorship program for IWD, while the control group received standard physical activity instruction. Pre‐ and post‐assessments were conducted using the Mentorship Efficacy Scale (MES) and Interaction with Disabled Persons (IDP) Scale to measure changes. A two‐way mixed ANOVA was used to analyze the data, with significance set at p < 0.05. There was a significant interaction effect between time and group for both MES, F(1, 293) = 24.2, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.076, and IDP, F(1, 293) = 21.14, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.067. This study provides strong evidence that SL mentorship programs are a powerful tool for promoting positive attitudes and improving mentorship efficacy among preservice professionals. As society continues to emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion, integrating SL into educational frameworks can play a pivotal role in preparing a workforce that is not only skilled but also compassionate and inclusive.
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