Due to a lack of specific degrees for disabled students, Marci Muhlestein, director of the Occupational Life Skills program at Bellevue College has begun fundraising in order to provide disabled students with an associate’s degree in occupational and life skills.
The learning itself involves specialized teaching. There are thousands of stories in which students have utilized OLS to recover more than just their future. Though many courses cover content such as social change and finance, the curriculum focuses on self-reliance. OLS has run a successful program with a professional faculty. Chris Hall, an associate of OLS, says the employees are friendly.
According to Chris Stoynov, a program coordinator at Bellevue College, the specifics of a given fundraiser’s movement and access of funds varies depending on the fundraiser. For OLS fundraising, the money will most likely not go to a stipend or otherwise. Instead, it could go to a number of essential projects. Examples might include buying new laptops for OLS students or purchasing notepads and school supplies. According to Rebecca Chawgo, an employee at the Bellevue College Foundation, the primary focus is on curriculum. They are reaching out to specific pockets of individuals such as faculty, staff and parents. According to Chawgo, the purpose is as much to educate people on OLS affairs as it is to fundraise. A fair presence has developed around the OLS programs, both internal and external, at Bellevue College. OLS will continue to thrive, especially with incoming funds.