College of Adaptive Arts Annual Fundraiser Features Special Appearance by Senator Dave Cortese

(Saratoga, Calif., August 28, 2023) Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) will present the keynote speech at the College of Adaptive Arts Annual Celebration of Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships, taking place September 17, 2023 from 2-4:30 pm at West Valley College in Saratoga.

Senator Cortese, along with West Valley College Chancellor Brad Davis and College of Adaptive Arts students AJ Vanderpan and 2020 Valedictorian Oliver Motiee, will give personal testimonials on how College of Adaptive Arts has impacted their own lives and the community.

The event, which serves as the largest fundraiser for College of Adaptive Arts, will also feature special student performances as well as student led campus tours.

“We have been working hard to identify more viable, sustainable funding streams for our organization to bring this model to full operational fruition,” said CAA co-founder DeAnna Pursai. “We rely on our donors to help keep our programs running so that we can continue to offer lifelong education for adults with special needs which have been aged out of traditional post-secondary educational programs.”

Keynote speaker Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) recently helped secure a state investment of over 2 million dollars for CAA and noted that its model is one he would like to see adopted onto other college campuses.

“The College of the Adaptive Arts is an inclusive model that uplifts people with differing abilities and provides them a genuine experience in higher education and then entering the workforce,” said Senator Cortese. “This program, located at Saratoga's West Valley College, originally started as a 12-person class and has blossomed into a national collegiate model which now serves over 224 students and benefits all higher education. The program also develops a caring community and builds confidence among its students. I’d love to see it scaled across California, and across the world.” 

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA), a Bay Area based educational non-profit, is a unique institution providing collegiate education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It serves more than 224 adult students across 9 states.

The organization was co-founded by Dr. Pamela Lindsay and DeAnna Pursai in 2009 after both witnessing loved ones with special needs become sidelined once they exited the public-school system. The organization is the first of its kind to receive state authorization to provide these services to the many adults in California and beyond who need them. 

The philosophy of CAA is to offer lifelong learning, with no age limitations, to any adult with disabilities who wants to pursue higher education. CAA’s ultimate goal is to be able to expand its innovative collegiate model, replicating it on every campus of higher learning across the country, and eventually, the world.

WHO:                    College of Adaptive Arts

WHAT:                   “Celebration of Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships” Annual Fundraiser

WHERE:                 West Valley College (14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga CA, 95070)

WHEN:                  Sunday, September 17 from 2-4:30 pm

INFO:                     www.collegeofadaptivearts.org or email info@collegeofadaptivearts.org

TICKETS:                    https://donate.collegeofadaptivearts.org/event/celebrating-inclusive-collegiate-partnerships-at-west-valley-college/e416682

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

College of Adaptive Arts is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing a lifelong, equitable collegiate experience to adults with special needs who historically have not had access to college education. The vision of CAA is to empower adults with special needs to creatively transform perception of disability. This is an institution of higher education where adults have opportunities to learn from a diverse and rich curriculum that will enable them to live a full and empowered life as successful, contributing members of the community. For more information, or to volunteer and/or donate visit https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/