College of Adaptive Arts Blog

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #8: Professor Sharon Lea

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:58:52 GMT

Sharon Lea has always had a love of music, but it wasn’t until joining CAA that she could actually meld both her passion and her career.

Sharon obtained her degree in English from Chico State and worked most of her life in administrative roles. The companies she worked for made products like medical devices, and she always enjoyed customer service and helping people. After surviving a cancer diagnosis and losing her husband all within a three-year span, Sharon took time off work and began volunteering with CAA. That volunteer work quickly turned into a fulfilling career.

CAA came into Sharon’s life at a time when she needed them, and when CAA needed instructors who had compassion and commitment to teach.

“At CAA, you don’t need the degree but you need the heart,” said Sharon.

Professor Sharon is the Director of Music at CAA and teaches many popular classes, including Concert Choir and Music Appreciation. In both those classes, she stresses to her students to find something that they like in the music and reminds them that it’s not about hitting all the right notes.

“One of the reasons I love CAA is because I see the benefits of what I’m doing every day in the classroom,” said Sharon.

When she was young, Sharon had to overcome a significant stutter so she can relate to the difficulties some of her students have with being heard and understood. Sharon says that she learns just as much from her students as they learn from her, and she loves coming away from classes hearing new perspectives and ideas.

According to Professor Sharon, CAA is a unique place to work because the leadership puts people in positions where they can really thrive.

“This has been such a wonderful growth experience for me,” said Professor Sharon. “I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of a supportive environment which celebrates caring and collaborative teamwork.”

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #7 Curtis K.

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:20:07 GMT

When Curtis Kitaji was first born, his family was told that he wouldn’t be able to speak. Fast forward many years later, and Curtis is one of the most prominent performers you’ll meet. In fact, his dream is actually to become an actor one day.

Curtis takes acting and songwriting classes at CAA and recently was one of the emcees at the Celebration of Inclusive Partnerships Gala, where he received rave reviews.

“Being at CAA has helped me come out of my shell,” Curtis said. “I love being on campus and being here with my friends.”

CAA’s model for lifelong learning was highly beneficial for Curtis. He attended two other colleges before CAA but had trouble keeping up with the required pace and workload.

There have been so many great memories Curtis said he had experienced as a student, and he remembers fondly when his acting teacher showed up to class dressed as a chicken for no reason.

Curtis was a participant of CAA’s Cardinal Apprenticeship Program and has learned many new skills, both in class and in his on the job training, that will help him later as he explores new career opportunities.

Curtis is a South Bay native and loves participating in various sports. He is part of the Special Olympics bowling team and also an integral part of the CAA golf team.

When Curtis isn’t in class at CAA, he enjoys hanging out at the mall with his friends or listening to his favorite band, Pentatonix.

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldnt Find. CAA Story #6: Longstanding Supporter Erin B.

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:23:07 GMT

Longtime College of Adaptive Arts supporter and donor Erin Benford has been an integral part of the school since its inception.

Erin has been a well-known realtor in the South Bay for nearly twenty years. She currently works for Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, but prior to that she was a teacher, so she always had a passion for education.

After meeting CAA co-founder DeAnna Pursai at a Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce mixer, the two bonded over their shared similarities of being school teachers and having loved ones with disabilities.

Erin’s son Joel had learning disabilities and was diagnosed with Asbergers Syndrome. He is high functioning, so he was able to work in various different jobs before eventually settling in as a valuable assistant at Erin’s real estate business.

Working alongside Joel, Erin knew firsthand the importance of creating opportunities for a neurodiverse population.

Aside from her family, her real estate business and philanthropy, one of Erin’s biggest passions is sewing. She is the president for the American Sewing Guild’s San Jose chapter which encompasses 5 different bay area counties. The guild is a community service organization and educational group, focusing on garment making, textile arts, quilts, machine embroidery and much more.

Erin says she hopes more people will get involved and support organizations like CAA who have no federal funding.

“Raindrops make oceans,” said Erin. “If everyone gave just a little, it could do so much.”

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We couldn't find. CAA Story #5 Kim Rains

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:43:44 GMT

Kimberly was born in May 1978. She was a beautiful baby but something seemed off so testing was done and it was determined that she had Down syndrome. Testing also revealed she had a heart defect with a hole between chambers and a valve that didn’t work properly. This was all new to us.

She was doing well so doctors decided to wait to let her grow bigger before doing heart surgery to repair the defects. We waited about 3 years and finally had open heart surgery at Stanford Children’s Hospital. The heart surgery went well but there was scaring below the vocal cords in her air way which required a Tracheostomy Tube below her vocal cords to allow outside air to & from her lungs. The Trach tube required suctioning to remove mucus from her airway and her lungs.

But as Kim grew and made friends in the neighborhood and at early intervention school she learned she loved to dance and perform for the family and for an audience. She thrived when dancing in class, when practicing and when performing. She was a regular dancer at the Alice Porter Dance Studio in San Jose.

She taught us, her parents, what she could do. We never said “you can’t” or “You won’t”. I would urge parents to use positive words when speaking to their children. She learned sign language to help communicating with others and her teacher. She learned to cover her trach with her finger to force air through her vocal cords to speak out loud.

When teaching Kim how to ride a two wheeled bike she had difficulty with balancing. We tried everyday for a long period of time. We eventually found a three wheeled recumbent bicycle. She could ride that bike right away, and loved it.

With her medical issues, we ended up with a trip to see a specialist in Salt Lake City, Utah and several trips to Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dr. John Langdon Haydon Down (1828 – 1896) was a British physician well known for his work & description of the genetic condition “Down syndrome” which he originally classified in 1862. He is also known for his work in social medicine and as a pioneer in the care of mentally disabled patients. It is too bad he didn’t have a different last name or a different way to identify the syndrome. For many of our children there is so much more “Up” and not so much “Down”.

Kim joined several dance classes and used sign language for the church choir.

Once we discovered College of Adaptive Arts there were several classes Kim wanted to take part in. She loved her new friends and brought several existing friends to join her in classes. She thrived in dancing, acting, practicing and learning new things. She led practice sessions at various times in several classes.

The College of Adaptive Arts has been a great resource for Kimberly and for us to help and enable Kim to learn, grow and thrive in many areas. She loved to perform in public and on stage. CAA offers many types of learning scenarios and learning environments.

It can be good to consider which classes are available and join those that could turn out great for your child. The sky is the limit. The College of Adaptive Arts is a lifelong learning environment.

Thank you to Pam and DeAnna for your vision and for your follow-through. Thank you to all the current leaders for their work and dedication.

CAA has been a blessing to us in so many ways.

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #4: Professor Danie Weaver.

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:51:12 GMT

Danielle Weaver was a beloved Professor, Director of the School of Communications, and Scheduling Manager at College of Adaptive Arts for the past 13 years. She was a shining light and constant source of positivity, joy, and connection at our college.

Danie joined CAA’s team soon after she watched her sister perform a CAA puppet show at Abilities Expo in downtown San Jose. The smile, joy, and encouragement she gave her sister made her a natural fit to be a professor at College of Adaptive Arts. Danie started teaching classes with overflowing love and commitment to her beloved Cardinals while we were holding them all over town, without an anchor campus site. She rose quickly to the role of lead professor while helping develop a brand-new School of Communications, and then became the Director of that foundational school of study in 2015.

She created one of the most impactful nights in CAA’s history – the inaugural Communications Showcase - held at the Corinthian Center in downtown San Jose. That was such a special night, spent celebrating the abilities of our students and faculty and enjoying the spoken and signed words. She graciously mentored our staff member, Professor Anthony, to take over the role of the directorship of the School of Communications when she embraced our expansion challenges, providing cornerstone contributions through additional managerial roles.

Danie will be forever remembered and celebrated for her kind spirit, her acknowledgement to "Always Honor the Introverts," her calm, non-judgmental demeanor, and the grace she extended to everyone. It was almost impossible not to be put in a good mood around Professor Danie – she just radiated joy, faith, and hope. She would often say that if you walked through her classroom, you might be inserted into a poem or story with the students. We also fondly retain her passions for fantasy tales and all things Disney. We could always look forward to enjoying such themes together in shared class experiences and personal conversations.

Danie was an accomplished author and poet who had published her own book back book, Catching Teardrops – a personal collection of poetry created during and about her journey with cancer just one year after her marriage. We lost her way too soon from this disease at way too early of an age. She impacted so many lives and was a true 'Mountain Mover' within her school and community. She will forever remain a beloved and cherished core member of our College of Adaptive Arts Super Staff.

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. Story #3: ED Nicole & her son Said

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:01:00 GMT

When my son, Saïd, was born, we discovered he had Down syndrome. I was 21 years old at the time, and I hadn’t done prenatal testing because it was considered a “low-risk” pregnancy. Suddenly I found myself sitting in doctors’ offices and hearing professionals describe what they believed his future would look like.

“He may never learn to read.”

“His learning will likely plateau around age four.”

“It’s unlikely he will live an independent life.”

Those are frightening things to say to a young mother.

Thankfully, I didn’t believe them.

Instead, I chose to raise my son with the expectation that he would learn , would grow , and would live as full a life as he was capable of living . And he did.

When the College of Adaptive Arts started in 2009, Saïd was 19—just the right age for college. We became part of the CAA community and never left.

He took classes, performed in the community, and truly blossomed as a young man. Along the way he discovered that he loves theater. He also loves to sing. Don’t give him a microphone—you may never get it back. ��

Today, at 35 years old, Saïd lives with a roommate and a caregiving couple. He has a vibrant, joyful, independent life. And he still loves taking classes every semester.

My own journey with CAA has been equally meaningful. For most of those years, I was a parent in the community. I soon joined the Board and became a professor. I taught classes like Speaking with Confidence and Joy of Baking , and eventually stepped into the role of Executive Director.

But the belief that first guided me as a young mother has never changed.

The belief I had in Saïd’s ability to learn, grow, and build a meaningful life is the same belief I hold for every student who walks through the doors of the College of Adaptive Arts.

And something remarkable happens when you lead with that belief.

Students rise to meet it.

When we expect growth, they grow.

When we expect contribution, they contribute.

When we expect full lives, they build them.

At CAA, we don’t define our students by limitations. We define them by possibility. And every semester, they remind us that possibility is far greater than anyone once imagined.

Nicole Kim

Executive Director

College of Adaptive Arts

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #2: Dr. Pamela Lindsay

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:49:07 GMT

The Ties That Bind

Those in our community are often asked about their “story” of a child’s diagnosis of a disability, the re-calibration that follows, and the impacts on family life. How do we begin to piece it together when every family member could write their own book, which is indeed their own story to tell? My own approach is to share plot points where our family has pulled together instead of apart, and where we have created the strong kinds of ties that bind. Through our shared experiences we’ve developed a lasting love for flying our own flags and finding success on our own terms.

One such plot point occurred when my daughter was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age nine. We were led to a school program offering unique curricula for learners with special learning needs; this was a revelation after years of IEPs trying to adapt square peg learning to round holes of school credit requirements. Related challenges whittled away at the edges of her love of learning and extinguished her light when both were crucial to her success. Permission to identify personal goals and build learning tools and activities around them made good sense and a massive difference. As anxiety levels came down, so did the walls to concept learning previously blocking forward academic momentum. This freedom of exploration on her terms and leverage of the arts-which she loved-provided keys that unlocked the rest of her lifelong learning journey. Today she is the proud holder of an associate of arts degree from Columbia College and is preparing to publish her first in a series of children’s books.

I discovered the same academic approaches transferred to special needs curriculum consulting with other families, completion of my master’s thesis, instruction of students at San Jose State, and (with the light and love of learning still intact) to completion of an individualized doctoral program. And can you guess the full-circle outcome? You’re right! Research and development in the arts, higher education, and the kind of next-step college conservatory program I’d visualized all those years ago while praying my high school daughter would continue to find her perfect fit. A place where adults of all learning needs can experience joy-filled academic development on their own terms, at their own pace, with their own goals in mind. All while increasing their love of learning and turning up the wattage on their beautiful inner spotlights that illuminate the next steps toward their personal goals and dreams.

Along the way, our family forged a shared and fierce commitment to unique life and learning journeys. We’ve discovered it creates those strong ties that continually bind us through thick and thin. Since many lights shine brighter than one, we can mutually illuminate and support each other’s individual paths, dreams, experiences, and continued learning in many forms toward achieving and celebrating personal goals on our own terms. This has directly and joyously transferred to a motto for our CAA family as well, proclaiming “When Cardinals support each other, everybody flies!”

Where the System Ends, CAA Begins: We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #1: Angel E.

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:27:36 GMT

CAA Story #1: Angel E.

College of Adaptive Arts is beginning a new weekly blog series featuring a story of a CAA student, professor, or parent/care provider each week. We hope you enjoy and can resonate with these stories. If you could comment and share with your networks to amplify this model, we'd be deeply obliged to you:

Angel Ellenberger, sister to CAA Co-Founder DeAnna Ellenberger Pursai, grew up in Bluffton, Indiana alongside DeAnna in the 70's and 80's. It was a glorious childhood, full of love, joy, laughter, and sisterhood bonding. Angel was always quite social, and she was a hit wherever she went with the cheerleaders and the community.

DeAnna came home from college one summer when Angel was in a postsecondary program (mandatory 18-22 extended years for students in the special education system). At the time, Angel was actively working with a job coach cleaning the desks at the local high school. DeAnna thought to herself, "Cool! That’s what happens to adults when the special ed students leave the school system." About one year to the date, DeAnna came back home to find Angel more than doubled her size and eating a bag of chips on the couch. She asked what had happened, and their mom said that the funding was cut for the job coach program and that Angel didn’t want to attend the one adult day program shared across their 2 rural counties – the only feeder option once you left the special education system.

Angel did indeed end up going to the day program after she gained so much weight that she had congestive heart failure in 2000 and almost passed away. Needless to say, it’s been an arduous and tenuous endeavor. Angel is intelligent, perceptive, social, artistic, creative, and comedic. She needed a support system with more opportunities to socialize, learn, engage beyond coloring in local dime store coloring books for hours.

That critical gap that Angel experienced sparked the seed of change, and together with her partner and friend Dr. Pamela Lindsay, College of Adaptive Arts was born. DeAnna and Dr. Pam built the college model they couldn’t find and so many around the world also could not find.

To those people searching, CAA's message is, "We hear you, we see you, and we’re coming." CAA will not stop until it has garnered the support, awareness, and public and private levers to scale this lifelong collegiate model worldwide to become as widespread, welcoming, and accessible in the education space that Special Olympics provides so robustly in the sports and athletics space.

CAA's revolutionary model is proving everyday that inclusive education is not charity; it is sustainable, transformative and a lifelong right.

CAA Salutes & Honors Dr. Martin Luther King's Legacy

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:46:24 GMT

CAA embraces the spirit of MLK's legacy

On this auspicious day celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., College of Adaptive Arts strives each day to live the legacy inspired by Dr. King.

College of Adaptive Arts embraces the spirit of Dr. King by providing a lifelong collegiate model to adults who historically haven't had access to higher education. It's based on the premise that everyone has value to learn, connect, and contribute.

What's truly refreshing about this lifelong learning model is the power of teamwork, inclusivity, and support for one another. Many of our staff have declared disabilities. They work tirelessly to support each other, back each other up, set their teammates up for optimal success.

The students are off all ethnicities, backgrounds, disabilities, and ages over 18 when the college stage begins. Their support and goodwill for each other is a true shining light for us all to embrace. They know when each other is hurting, and they go out of their way to support and be a helping hand. They liberally give compliments in class on the thoughts and ideas each other present. They work alongside each other and hold space for each other to be who they are.

These are most complex times we are living through. The College of Adaptive Arts model is truly a shining light on the best of humanity and human dignity and goodwill. We invite you to experience this vibrant lifelong learning model through a student-led tour each Friday CAA classes are in session, 1pm PST online virtual and 2:30pm PST in-person on the beautiful campus of West Valley College in Saratoga, CA: https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/tour-landing-page

Onwards & Upwards for Eager Lifelong Learners

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:54:54 GMT

Traction and growing momentum are real.

2025 has been a pivotal, transformational year for @College of Adaptive Arts (CAA). The conversations we’re having across the community continue to affirm that we are on the right track in advancing an expanded, adaptive higher education model—one we believe can scale nationwide and beyond.

We hear it constantly: “Wouldn’t it be nice to have this model in my community? ” If we had a dollar for every time someone said that, we’d be much further along in realizing our vision of lifelong learning for all.

CAA fills a critical gap in access to authentic, lifelong learning opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Across the country, momentum is growing for inclusive collegiate partnerships and postsecondary programs. These efforts are phenomenal and exciting—but many are limited to a traditional four-year, post–high school timeframe, often ending around age 22.

For adults with IDD, disability accommodations at typical colleges and universities (such as extended time, test readers, note takers, or separate testing spaces) may not be sufficient or appropriate. When those supports don’t meet their needs, educational options become narrow and limited. That’s the gap CAA is designed to bridge.

CAA is a lifelong learning model.

Credits are earned through exposure to instructional concepts.
Undergraduate and graduate diplomas are awarded based on hours of participation.
After receiving a diploma, students are welcomed and encouraged to re-enroll and continue learning at their own pace, for as long as they wish.

Some students take just one class that sparks their curiosity; others enroll in multiple courses. Some explore a subject for a semester or two, then pivot to a different area. Many students value our online-only option due to medical complexities or limited transportation, while others prefer in-person learning. This flexibility is a key reason we envision this model embedded on college campuses nationwide.

Our graduate students can enroll in our workforce development program, which offers adults with IDD paid apprenticeship positions where they can gain meaningful, practical workforce skills.

We see CAA as a flexible, scalable model of lifelong learning that communities across the country can adopt—much like the way Special Olympics has transformed access and inclusion in athletics, CAA aims to do so in higher education.

To measure impact, we focus on improvements in:

Quality of Life
Hope
Confidence
Connections & Friendships
Pathways to Contribution

These indicators remain consistently high—not only for CAA students, but also for faculty, staff, parents, and care providers. This adaptive, lifelong learning model benefits:

Adults with IDD who are eager and hungry to learn.
Adults seeking meaningful, part-time or gig-based employment in a dynamic, supportive environment.
Parents and care providers—one parent shared, “I can finally sleep at night.”
Communities, which begin to see adults with disabilities in a new light, recognizing their talents, skills, and contributions.

We are deeply grateful to the many community partners who have leaned in this past year to share their resources, insights, and wisdom, including:

@Greenbrier, @SASCC, @StateSenatorCortese, @JoeSimitian, @PamFoley, @Visa, @GoldenStateWarriors, @CDSA, @Arm, Inc., @SaratogaSprings, @BlueOakNx, @WestValleyCollege, @LaneyCollege, @Profound, @BlindInstituteofTechnology, @Hiline, @ImpactPro, @MissionCollege, @SamLiccardo, @OpenAIPeopleFirst, @TEDxViikki, @CynthiaGregory, @AssociationofHigherEducationandDisability, @AmericanAssociationforIntellectualandDevelopmentalDisability, @Brainshare, @OnlineAssistantPro, @SanAndreasRegionalCenter, @CADepartmentofDevelopmentalServices, @CaliforniaAssociationofPostsecondaryEducationandDisability, @ForbesNonprofitCouncil, @SheriJayCoaching, and @HummingbirdStudio.

The groundswell of support for this lifelong higher learning model is palpable. Onwards and upwards for eager and hungry lifelong learners.

California State Senator Dave Cortese Delivers CAA Graduation Keynote

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:53:37 GMT

California State Senator Dave Cortese Delivers CAA Graduation Keynote

State Senator Dave Cortese shares his support & rationale for supporting this lifelong, adaptive equitable education model for workforce development & scaling and replication.

College of Adaptive Arts Co-Sponsors Accessibility Event Featuring the First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:26:01 GMT

First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law to Speak at Bay Area Accessibility Event

Disability Advocate Haben Girma to Speak at West Valley College February 12

(Saratoga, Calif., January 22, 2025) Haben Girma, nationally recognized disability rights advocate and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law, will be coming to the Bay Area for a free Assistive Technology Fair which will feature a special talk, book signing, and campus tours.

Girma is a Bay Area native and a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and the World Health Organization appointed her Commissioner of Social Connection. She has also received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks.

Harnessing the power of the written word to spark advocacy, Girma wrote and published the book that became a bestseller, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. The story takes readers on adventures around the world, including her parents’ homes in Eritrea and Ethiopia, building a school under the scorching Saharan sun, training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and working with President Biden and President Obama at The White House.

College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit college serving over 250 adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), is sponsoring the event along with West Valley College’s DESP services, David Wang Educational Endowment and EOPS in an effort to provide information and programs to those experiencing disability.

“Haben Girma is a great example of how to transform perceptions of people with disabilities,” said Nicole Kim, Executive Director of College of Adaptive Arts (CAA). “Like many of our students with IDD, she’s had challenges to overcome, but being able to access higher education was instrumental to her growth and success. She is a great example of the change one person can affect if just given the opportunity.”

The event is free to the public and takes place Wednesday, February 12 from 10am-2pm at West Valley College’s Campus Center at 14000 Fruitvale Avenue in Saratoga, CA. For additional information, or to RSVP, please visit www.bit.ly/wvc-atf2025

College of Adaptive Arts Announces Nicole Kim as New Executive Director

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:56:24 GMT

Longtime CAA Director Nicole Kim Brings New Energy, Vision, and Leadership to the Educational Nonprofit

(Saratoga, Calif., June 15, 2024) Nicole Kim, the longtime professor and current director of College of Adaptive Arts’ School of Business, has been selected to take over at the helm as the organization’s new Executive Director.

DeAnna Pursai, the school’s co-founder and current Executive Director, will stay onboard and pivot into her new role as the College of Adaptive Arts’ Director of Development and Community Outreach.

For the past 15 years, Nicole has been a passionate educator at the College of Adaptive Arts (CAA). She empowers adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities(IDD) through courses like "Speaking with Confidence", "Joy of Baking," and “Intro to Employment Skills” demonstrating her commitment to inclusive education.

Nicole has been with CAA since its inception and was one of the school’s original Board Chairs.

Prior to coming to CAA, Nicole was a distinguished operations professional with over 25 years of experience in program management and operations. She held several leadership roles at top-tier tech companies such as PayPal, eBay, Indeed, Instagram, and Cigna Healthcare.

Nicole's transition from the tech industry to her new role as Executive Director at CAA underscores her dedication to supporting the organization's mission. She is focused on creating an equitable and lifelong collegiate experience for individuals with disabilities. Her leadership style, characterized by empathy and a deep appreciation for every individual's contribution, continues to drive the success of her teams.

Nicole’s appointment as Executive Director marks an exciting new chapter for the College of Adaptive Arts, promising innovative leadership and a steadfast commitment to the community it serves.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to join the leadership team at the College of Adaptive Arts,” said Nicole. “This opportunity allows me to combine my professional expertise with my passion for inclusive education. I look forward to working with such a dedicated team to create meaningful and enriching experiences for our students, ensuring that every individual can thrive and achieve their fullest potential."

College of Adaptive Arts is a non-profit which serves more than 225 adults with I/DD across 9 different states. The school provides collegiate education for adults with IDD who have been sidelined from traditional post-secondary special education. CAA offers a mix of online learning and in-person classes, which take place on the campus of West Valley College in Saratoga, CA, and it boasts 10 different schools of instruction in things like Digital Media Studies, Communication, Business, and Visual Arts.

The vision of the College of Adaptive Arts is to be able to replicate its innovative educational model on college campuses across the world so that any adult with IDD has access to higher education, wherever and whenever they want.

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/

College of Adaptive Arts Co-Founder DeAnna Pursai Added To the Human Atlas Project

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 22:36:53 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts co-founder DeAnna Pursai was recently selected as one of the profiles for the prestigious Human Atlas project . Human Atlas projects are research-based, interdisciplinary explorations of the people of a specified geography. They are built on an extensive nomination process from a carefully curated group. These individuals profiled are championing and driving social impact in all its forms: from public servants to entrepreneurs, from non-profit leaders and activists to artists and scientists.

Students with Intellectual Disabilities Shine in New Leadership Opportunities

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 22:36:01 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts Showcases Several Student Standouts in Honor of National Disability Awareness Month

(Saratoga, Calif., March 3, 2024) The month of March marks National Developmental Disability Awareness Month, and several students at one Bay Area college are proving that their abilities extend way beyond just the classroom.

The College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit providing a lifelong collegiate education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), serves 230 students in person and online, many of whom have been diagnosed with I/DD.

The school has recently introduced a new workforce development program which trains its students into paid apprenticeship positions, including receptionist and teacher’s aide. Two of those apprentices, Victoria Rivera and Sam Headley, both say this is giving them new opportunities which they never had before.

“Working gives me a sense of duty and responsibility,” said Sam. “I hope to continue to grow and maybe teach at the college someday.”

Sam has been a student at CAA since 2020 previously worked as a bagger at Lucky’s. While he enjoyed his job there, he said it was more focused on what his body could do as opposed to his mind.

Although he’s a self-described introvert, he still got up in front of a packed house to give the Pledge of Allegiance at Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg’s last State of the County Address.

And it’s not just the apprentices who have been given incredible new leadership opportunities. Student Michael Oduma is has a dream to become a sports announcer one day and because of CAA’s unique partnership with West Valley College, he was able to make this dream a reality by co-announcing a basketball game for the college. Oduma is known as the “Mayor of CAA”, is their official tour guide and was also an emcee for a CAA press conference with Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose).

“I like being a leader and getting to use my voice,” said Oduma.

Brighid Kohl is another student who showed incredible initiative and campaigned for a You Are Not Alone (YANA) club to be created at her school. Even though her disability sometimes can affect her speech, that didn’t stop Brighid from learning how to create a PowerPoint plan, presenting it to the school, and eventually gaining national recognition from influencer and popular YouTuber Jessii Vee .

“All our students are challenging the traditional perception of ability,” said DeAnna Pursai, co-founder and Executive Director of College of Adaptive Arts. “So often adults with disabilities are overlooked and not seen as the thoughtful, intelligent, capable, beings that they are.”

In all 50 states, adults with disabilities are mandated out of post secondary education at 21 or 22, but CAA hopes to change that by offering a program of lifelong learning which doesn’t impose age limits or restrictions on students. In fact, the school actually encourages students to re-enroll even after they have graduated.

According to the CDC, 6.5 million people in the United States have intellectual or developmental disabilities. CAA’s goal is to reach any adult within that population who wants to pursue higher education. Their mission is to be able to expand their collegiate model, replicating it on every campus of higher learning across the country, and eventually, the world.

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/

"My mind is my best asset"

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 01:11:09 GMT

CAA Supports Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Reach Their Full Potential

“My mind is my best asset” states Sam Headley, one of CAA’s new workforce development apprentices. This statement epitomizes the work of supporting incredible adults with intellectual disabilities at @CollegeofAdaptiveArts for the past 15 years. Sam represents one of 229 lifelong learners this winter/spring semester 2024 who are so eager to learn, grow, and contribute to the community in ways they know can be so impactful for themselves and the community.

College of Adaptive Arts is immensely grateful for the national, state, regional, county and local recognition the co-founders have received over the past 2 years. From @CNNHereos, @AARPPurposePrize, @Golden State Warriors Community Impact Award, & State of CA & Santa Clara County County support, these recognitions indicate that the mountain is indeed moving to uncover & illuminate the authentic abilities of adults with intellection disabilities to transform perception and move the needle to become impactful successful contributing citizens leveraging the innate abilities, skills, talents, and passions these adults possess.

College of Adaptive Arts’ mission is to provide an equitable, lifelong collegiate experience to adults with disabilities who historically have not had access to college education. The vision is to partner with every campus of higher learning around the world to build a global infrastructure of lifelong learning collegiate opportunities for adults who have been historically sidelined after high school.

College of Adaptive Arts provides a win-win-win-win-win-win model for the community.

Win#1: the Students. Adults with special needs get the opportunity to choose from one of 72 course offerings from 10 distinct schools of student at the college around their interests and passions. No tests, no papers to write, homework is optional. They receive diplomas just like they watch their siblings/cousins/friends achieve. After they graduate, they are welcome to re-enroll for strive for another degree as long as they have an interest.

Win#2: the Professors. College of Adaptive Arts recruits individuals of all abilities to be the professors of the college. No formal education or teaching certification required. If you have a trade/skill you would like to teach, and you treat the CAA college students with respect and integrity, you are eligible to be a professor of this college.

Win#3: the Apprentices. CAA has recently received funds to cultivate workforce development opportunities building workforce paths that are non-routine in focus, accentuating and aligning with their intellectual pursuits and aspirations. The initial workforce apprentices are training to be classroom assistants, event planners, marketing team supporters, graphic designers, accessibility quality control supporters, and tour guide ambassadors. Future workforce paths including training adults to be musicians, sign language assistants, social media support specialists, stage actors and actresses, tech support assistants, sports announcer assistants, and radio/DJ support techs.

Win#4: The Volunteers. College of Adaptive Arts is located in the heart of the beautiful campus of West Valley College, thanks to the visionary leadership of @Chancellor Bradley Davis and his incredible and forward-thinking Board of Trustees and faculty. West Valley College and other local universities such as @SanJoseState & @SantaClaraUniversity provide amazing .edu student volunteers who can receive 501c3 volunteer hours for their participation and peer learners & coaches in the College of Adaptive Arts classes.

Win#5: The Parents and Care providers. Being a parent to a child with a disability is one o the hardest and most arduous roles one can ever experience. There are many support services for children with special needs. At age 22, the terrain of services substantially shifts in all 50 states when students are mandated out of the public school system at age 22. The options for continued learning are dramatically reduced if adults are not able to access an Associate's Degree at a community college. This model provides relief, hope, and amazement of how adults are continued to be engaged, to learn, to grow, and to blossom and realize their full potential.

Win#6: The community. CAA takes performers and ambassadors all over the community to engage, transform perception, and foster inclusivity and connectedness. One patron remarked, “I felt so alive when watching (the CAA dancers) perform at a local venue. CAA cheerleaders cheer at events; the children’s music touring ensemble performs for preschools and local elementary schools; the adaptive guitar and concert choir troupes perform at CAA’s annual graduation ceremony. The CAA golfers golf in a community golf tournament whereby one community golfer commented, "That is the best day I've had in such a long time - I really needed that!"

We invite you to take a student-led tour to experience this innovative and vibrant college model for yourself. College of Adaptive Arts is 15 years strong in 2024, and we vow to keep going until we’ve established an #InclusiveCollegiatePartnership with every campus of higher learning around the world. Please share, comment, and reach out to us. We want to hear from you! info@collegeofadaptivearts.org: Take a tour (student-led tours each Friday college is in session); 1pm PST online; 2:30pm in-person at @WestValleyCollege.

College of Adaptive Arts Golf Tournament Brings Together Players of All Abilities

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 23:28:32 GMT

(Saratoga, Calif., October 10, 2023) On Monday October 16, from 2-6pm, College of Adaptive Arts will host its 10 ^th annual Golf Classic at the Santa Teresa Golf Club.

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA), a south bay based non-profit, is a unique institution providing collegiate education to adults with special needs. It serves more than 224 students across 9 states, the majority of whom have been diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The CAA Golf Team and first Golf Classic began in 2012 when a student proposed the idea of having a CAA golf team. Since then, CAA has hosted 9 wildly successful Golf Classics, pairing a CAA student the fourth member of every team.

“This is fundraiser is always one of our most anticipated annual events,” said CAA co-founder and Executive Director DeAnna Pursai. “One of our goals is to connect our students with community members in venues that typically are not associated with adults with disabilities, such as on a golf course. We are truly grateful to Santa Teresa Golf Club for hosting the Classic each year, as well as our CAA golf team. We hope lots of people will come out to show their support people of all abilities!”

College of Adaptive Arts 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 philosophy of the school is to offer lifelong learning, with no age limitations, to any adult with special needs who wants to pursue higher education.

CAA’s vision 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.

College of Adaptive Arts Celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month with New Workforce Development Programs

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 23:22:20 GMT

Non-profit Trains Students with Disabilities to Expand Their Career Opportunities

(Saratoga, Calif., October 10, 2023) With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, there is a heightened focus on the career access and opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Historically, careers for people with I/DD have been limited to manual labor positions, such as bagging groceries or custodial work.

College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit based in Saratoga, California, is aiming to change this with the belief that even though a person may have intellectual or developmental disabilities, he or she still can hold a job which require skill sets such as critical thinking, problem solving, and emotional awareness.

The State of California, along with Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), shares this belief, recently granting College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) over 2 million dollars in the 2023 state budget for these new workforce development initiatives.

The U.S. Department of Labor has also validated these new efforts by accrediting CAA’s newly formed apprenticeship program, which combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to prepare workers for their careers.

“If we want adults with disabilities to realize their full potential, we need to invest in their futures,” said DeAnna Pursai, Executive Director and co-founder of College of Adaptive Arts. “Our mission has always been centered on lifelong learning, however we see such a large gap in what types of jobs are available for adults with I/DD. We want to open new doors by training our students in things like receptionist positions, teacher aides, and more.”

College of Adaptive Arts serves more than 225 adults with I/DD across 9 different states. It offers a mix of online learning and in-person classes, which take place on the campus of West Valley College. CAA offers 10 schools of instruction in things like Digital Media Studies, Communication, Business, and Visual Arts.

The school so far has hired nine associate professors, one musical accompanist, and three interns from its student body. It also has hired four additional outside professors with recognized physical disabilities.

“Our vision is to empower our student body to creatively transform the way the world views individuals with disabilities,” said Pursai. “By recognizing and utilizing everyone’s unique abilities, we can truly build a better world.”The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

South Bay Non-Profit Groups Participate in Volunteer Efforts for Compassion Week

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 23:34:36 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts Students Join Thousands of Other Volunteers to Spread Kindness Throughout the Community

(Saratoga, Calif.) --- On October 7 through October 14, students from the College of Adaptive Arts will participate in Compassion Week, an effort in Bay Area centered on bringing people of all ages and abilities together with the mission to build a strong, compassionate, and empathetic community.

In partnership with the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation, Fremont Bank, County of Santa Clara Supervisor Joe Simitian, and multiple local faith communities, Compassion Week encourages individuals, groups, and families to engage in meaningful acts of service. Since its inception in 2012, over 21,000 volunteers have participated in Compassion Week activities, supporting over 85 nonprofits.

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) is a Bay Area based educational non-profit which provides collegiate education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It centers on the concept of lifelong learning and serves more than 224 adult students across 9 states.

CAA Student Brighid Kohl said that she and her classmates have elected to assemble CARE packages for local foster youth to help them feel less alone.

“There is enough sadness in the world,” said Brighid. “We are trying to make sure there is a lot of happiness too.”

Those who are interested in volunteering for Compassion Week can register at https://www.compassionweeklosaltos.org/ . For more information on the College of Adaptive Arts, please visit https://www.collegeofadaptivearts.org/ .

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

Bay Area Non-profit Leader Named as a 2024 AARP Purpose Prize® Award Fellow

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 23:39:13 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts Co-founder Dr. Pamela Lindsay Recognized for Her Efforts in Providing Higher Education to Adults with Disabilities

WASHINGTON – Today, AARP announced its 2024 AARP Purpose Prize Award recipients. The one-of-a-kind national award honors people age 50-plus who have proven that they are using their knowledge and life experience to make a difference. Five AARP Purpose Prize Winners who have founded a non-profit will receive $50,000 for their organization. In addition, 10 AARP Purpose Prize Fellows and their organizations will be recognized with an award of $10,000. All award recipients will also receive a year of technical support to help broaden the scope of their organization’s work.

Dr. Pamela Lindsay, co-founder of the College of Adaptive Arts, was recognized as one of 15 non-profit founders chosen throughout the country who are giving back to their communities.

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA), a Bay Area based educational non-profit, is an organization providing collegiate education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It centers on the concept of lifelong learning and serves more than 224 adult students across 9 states.

CAA was co-founded by Dr. Pamela Lindsay and DeAnna Pursai in 2009 after both witnessed 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.

“Our Purpose Prize winners and fellows are shining examples of a simple, yet profound truth: When we find our sense of purpose—that certain something that gives us a reason to get up and get going every day—we not only give meaning to our own lives; we make the world a better place for everyone,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins.

The philosophy of CAA is to offer lifelong learning, with no age limitations, to any adult with a disability 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.

Alongside the Purpose Prize winners and fellows, AARP is presenting award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise with an honorary Purpose Prize Award for his founding and leadership of the Gary Sinise Foundation . Founded in 2011, the Gary Sinise Foundation honors military members, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.

“I am so honored to be recognized as an AARP Purpose Prize® Award Fellow,” said Dr. Pamela Lindsay. “I know firsthand that the pursuit of our dreams and passions are not limited by the number of birthdays we celebrate. CAA is rooted in the knowledge that continued learning and related community contribution at any age increases personal purpose, life satisfaction, and success.”

The AARP Inspire Award will also return for its third year. Starting today, the general public will have the opportunity to vote at aarp.org/InspireAward for the AARP Purpose Prize Winner that they would like to win the AARP Inspire Award, which grants the recipient an additional $10,000 for their organization. The AARP Inspire Award recipient will be announced during an in-person celebration honoring all recipients in Washington, D.C. on October 25, 2023.

The 2023-2024 AARP Purpose Prize winners are:

Ken Falke – Bluemont, Virginia – Boulder Crest Foundation

Peter Jensen, M.D. – Little Rock, Arkansas – The REACH Institute

Janice Malone – Mobile, Alabama – Vivian's Door

Don Schoendorfer – Irvine, California – Free Wheelchair Mission

Laura Stachel, M.D. – Berkeley, California – We Care Solar

The 2023-2024 AARP Purpose Prize fellows are:

Julie Clugage – Menlo Park, California – Team4Tech Foundation

Shana Erenberg – Skokie, Illinois – Libenu

Lee Ann Kline – Huntington Beach, California – STEM Advantage

Scarlett Lewis – Newtown, Connecticut – Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement

Pamela Lindsay – Saratoga, California – College of Adaptive Arts

Geeta Mehta – New York, New York – Asia Initiatives

Maura O’Malley – Pelham, New York – Lifetime Arts, Inc.

Rob Perez – Lexington, Kentucky – DV8 Kitchen Vocational Training Foundation

Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman – Seattle, Washington – Refugee Artisan Initiative

Renita White – Chicago, Illinois – Of Color Inc.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS:

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

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 23:47:21 GMT

Highlights Include a Live Auction, Special Performances and Student Tours

(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:

Flash 5K to Benefit Local South Bay Charities

michael.reisman@collegeofadaptivearts.org (Michael Reisman) — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 23:50:47 GMT

Race Beneficiaries Include College of Adaptive Arts and the American Cancer Society

(Saratoga, Calif., August 23, 2023) On Saturday, September 9, Western Digital will host a 5K run/walk which will benefit the College of Adaptive Arts and the American Cancer Society.

The “Flash” 5K event will take place at 9am at Western Digital’s Great Oaks San Jose Campus and will be offered both in person and virtually.

College of Adaptive Arts (CAA), a 501 c (3) non-profit organization, is a unique institution providing collegiate education to adults with differing abilities. It currently serves 224 students across 12+ states, the majority of whom have been diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Down syndrome and autism.

“CAA’s current one and only recurring state funding stream is now being out-paced by the overwhelming demand for these equitable collegiate services, so we rely heavily on fundraisers, grants, and individual donations to continue our mission of providing lifelong, higher education to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said DeAnna Pursai, co-founder and Executive Director of CAA.

The Flash 5K is free to enter, however donations are strongly encouraged.

“Western’s Digital’s deep belief in empowerment and resilience led us to select College of Adaptive Arts and the American Cancer Society as beneficiaries of the Flash 5K fun run/walk,” said Rob Soderbery, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Flash Business Unit. “Together, we will continue striving for a world where every individual and every community can adapt, thrive, and conquer whatever challenges come their way.”

WHO: Western Digital

WHAT: “Flash” 5K benefitting College of Adaptive Arts and the American Cancer Society

WHERE: 5601 Western Oaks Pkwy, San Jose, CA 95119

WHEN: Saturday, September 9 (Registration opens at 7am and the race begins at 9am)

INFO: https://www.runtheday.com/register/detail/flash-5k-for-caa-cancer-awareness-2023

ABOUT WESTERN DIGITAL’S GLOBAL GIVING AND DOING

Western Digital's Global Giving & Doing function honors the company's commitment to exemplifying corporate social responsibility through employee volunteerism, community grants, scholarships, product donations, and when necessary, disaster relief. Its global philanthropic focus areas include STEM Education, Hunger Relief, Equality, and the Environment.

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 College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) is to empower adults with special needs to creatively transform perception of disability. CAA 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/

ABOUT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY:

The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. For more information, visit https://www.cancer.org/

CAA Launches Innovative Workforce Development Program

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 22:05:01 GMT

Grateful to Supervisor Joe Simitian for his investment for this launch.

We are so tremendously grateful to County Board Supervisor Joe Simitian for supporting College of Adaptive Arts for a Workforce Development Grant for Adults with Disabilities particularly focused on innovative positions on accentuating adults with disabilities’ intellectual inquiry, interests, and passions.

Here's an excerpt from Supervisor Simitian’s office: “the CAA program is intended to provide training and experience for “non-routine” jobs. These jobs promote intellectual and leadership opportunities for participants, and the development of situational awareness and non-linear thinking to adapt to different situations. Candidates for this apprenticeship program are drawn from CAA’s own students, the West Valley College Disability Student Services Program, and other populations that historically have had challenges obtaining work.

One such potential apprenticeship candidate is CAA student Curtis Kitaji (featured in the photo) joined CAA about 5 years ago; as I type these words, I’m listening to Curtis lead the on-site tour for interested new families and community members as a CAA Student Ambassador. Curtis demonstrated his true abilities, interest, passion, and initiative at the Annual School of Theatre Graduate Musical Theater Production this past Saturday. He took 2 buses to get to the dress rehearsal early in the morning; he was not in the show, he just came to help. When the assigned volunteer who was going to run the teleprompter called in sick, Curtis jumped in right away to run the teleprompter throughout the show so the actors could easily refer to their lines. He did a phenomenal job at tech support and was a tremendous asset to the production.

A second CAA student candidate is a young woman who happens to have a more hidden disability. She’s got so many ideas on helping this school grow strategically. She is kind, resourceful, energetic, and has a plethora ideas on how to better market this school on social media, including Instagram and TikTok. She’s going to become an apprenticeship candidate as we work collaboratively and strategically to create new workforce opportunities, particularly in the higher education space, which align more closely with their intellectual inquiry, talents, and innate abilities.

This is such an exciting and pivotal development at College of Adaptive Arts as we work diligently to create Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships. The sky is truly the limit with exploring new workforce possibilities, and we invite you to join us in this incredible, monumental, and impactful journey.

Here's the full Press Release that was published July 6, 2023:

County Steps Up on Career Opportunities for People with Developmental Disabilities - Supervisor Joe Simitian District 5 - County of Santa Clara (sccgov.org)

2023 Weekly Tour Dates - Campaign (collegeofadaptivearts.org)

CAA Mission Moments of June

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 18:26:21 GMT

Please enjoy and share widely CAA's Mission Moments of June:

CAA Mission Moments of June�� (campaign-archive.com)

The College of Adaptive Arts Mission is to provide an equitable, lifelong collegiate experience to adults with disabilities who historically have not had access to college education.

CAA's Vision is to empower the student body to creatively transform perception of individuals with disabilities.

We welcome you to register for an online or in-person student-led tour each Friday that college is in session: 2023 Weekly Tour Dates - Campaign (collegeofadaptivearts.org)

CAA Parent recognized for Dance for All in Mtn View CA

deanna@collegeofadaptivearts.org (DeAnna Pursai) — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 23:36:19 GMT

Showcasing & Celebrating Dancing Abilities in All

Here is an incredible opportunity to get involved with in dance if you live in the Bay Area or beyond by one of College of Adaptive Arts' amazing CAA Parents, Teresa:

Dance for All is my passion project born out of a need to provide movement solutions for our special needs community that keep them healthy and socially connected. Our mission is "Connecting through Movement" and it was important to myself and my co-founder, Mercy Forde, that it be an inclusive class at the Y that anyone can take. An added bonus, the neurotypical participants receive a great workout and gain new insights into inclusion and acceptance as together we strengthen the bonds of our community. It's a win-win. -Teresa Marchok

Class Description: So you think you can't dance...think again! This innovative class integrates current dance moves, Pilates mat work, improvisation, and a closing meditation in an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. Special needs and typical participants unite to elevate awareness, promote community acceptance, and have fun as we work out together.

Testimonies from parents: "They create a truly inclusive community and give equal access to this powerful fitness program to my child. My child loves this program and this group of youth and trusted adults!" “Teresa and Mercy have been leading Dance for All for nine years every Saturday. They give true empowerment through movement, clear vocal instruction and create a sense of belonging for youth with special needs. This gives hope for families as well."

Jackie Haugh, a gifted author, artist and dance teacher wrote a compelling article about Dance for All:

YMCA'S ALL-INCLUSIVE DANCE FOR ALL ENGAGES FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS | YMCA Silicon Valley (ymcasv.org)

Dance for All

By: Jackie Madden Haugh

Imagine a studio in 2004 at the El Camino YMCA filled with tiny dancers wiggling joyously as their hair bounces wildly to the beat of the music. With smiles beaming on their six-year-old faces, they giggle while holding hands and twirling in circles. To the side is another beautiful, highly active child. This child is different. She has yet to learn how to talk, loud sounds make her prone to outbursts, and rather than controlled little arms, they often flail, accidentally hitting some of the other children. Integrating this precious child is a challenge, for in the eyes of the others, she is not like them. But as the weeks progress, the children begin to see her as one of their own, one to protect and love. The child’s mom looked on and wished all children like hers could have an experience like this—an experience where they feel cared for, accepted, and free. Oh, the beauty of childhood innocence when looking beyond the visual and embracing not just the person, but the soul.

Today there is a space where young and old alike gather to experience the same joy of movement to music with no judgment, no criticism, and no fear. All levels learn at their own pace and are given the freedom to express themselves with no preconceived idea for perfection. This all-inclusive setting has parents dancing with their child with special needs alongside those labeled “normal.” All feel welcomed, included, and safe. This is pure magic—this is Dance for All.

In 2014, Teresa Maldonado Marchok and Mercy Forde, both fitness instructors, teamed up to create this delightful program. As fitness enthusiasts, they know firsthand how important physical activity is for everybody, no matter what age. As mothers to special needs children, they found it difficult to find classes for their children that were not separate from the community because of their challenges. Their children, just like all children, brimming with equal capability. All they needed was an opportunity to participate. And so, Dance for All was born.

The dance class is run similar to other fitness classes, with Teresa and Mercy demonstrating and instructing a variety of movements and techniques that develop and improve core strength, flexibility, and balance. Students not only learn current dance moves in rhythm with the latest music, but there’s also Pilates mat work, and a closing meditation that allows all to center themselves before leaving the studio. Participants are not only welcome but encouraged to interpret the moves as the music flows. Though they might not all be synchronized, they are all united in spirit and fun.

The program’s mission is “Connecting the Community through Movement,” and this inclusive class allows the unique twofold beauty of the program to shine. First, Dance for All gives the special needs participant the tools to conduct themselves in a movement class, thus enabling integration into other classes as well as a sense of belonging to society as a whole. Second, the class creates a fun environment for the typical fitness participant to learn more about and interact with this precious sub-set. Despite initial perceived differences in thought process and language, the typical student begins to see that each member of the class has dreams and desires, just like anyone.

Dance for All is celebrating its fifth anniversary. What started as a dream has morphed into a beautiful weekly event and a studio packed with participants. Whether dancers come alone or with their children, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Margie Pfister, who attends class with her adult daughter Ellen, summed up their experience, which many can relate to.

“Amidst the ups and downs of our days, Dance for All has been a positive welcoming spot from the moment we entered the class and are greeted by name. Through the warm-ups, dance, and cool-down, my daughter and I are inspired to be our best as we encourage others to do as well. With the positive music, and Teresa’s and Mercy’s kind encouragement, we not only feel a sense of belonging, but our posture has improved in our daily activities. By the end of class, we feel a sense of accomplishment, have met new friends, and this world feels like a better place, and we feel better in it.”

As for that bright-eyed child in that dance class so long ago, she is Teresa’s now twenty-year-old daughter, Katelyn, and I was privileged to be her dance teacher. Today, she takes all kinds of classes at the YMCA and is a joy to watch as her face still beams while dancing. How fortunate is our community to embrace such a program where students come together as equals and friends. Just as Margie said, this experience makes the world feel like a better place, and all feel better in it.

If you want to participate in a joyful experience, come check out Dance for All every Saturday from 1:00-2:00 pm at the El Camino YMCA/ 2400 Grant Road, Mt. View. Ages 8-88 gather in the multipurpose room and unite to elevate awareness, promote community acceptance and just have fun.

Every Saturday at 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (unless notified)

El Camino YMCA | 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View, CA

Multipurpose Room by the Lobby

Ages 8 to 88+ of all levels and abilities welcome!

Email: teresa@pilateswithteresa.com

Meet CAA Student Saida

deanna@collegeofadaptivearts.org (DeAnna Pursai) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:21:11 GMT

I am a full time student in college I am a music, dance, theatre, film and songwriting major I also enjoy doing cheer as well.

I’m proud to be a performing arts major my goal is to graduate college and continue my performing arts studies at the University level and have a professional career doing music, dance and theatre.

Being a student at both CAA and WVC have been such a truly wonderful experience CAA have helped me become a stronger, resilient, confident woman I am forever thankful and grateful for everyone at CAA they are Family to me I couldn’t ask for anything better in them.

CAA have helped me spread my wings and fly it also helped me blossom into the woman I am to this day.

I feel really happy knowing that I can be my true authentic self I don’t have to hide anything at all

CAA saved my Life after going through so much emotional pain and mental health pain and so much more etc.

I also enjoy every single classes and programs I do my goal is to graduate from CAA as Valedictorian when I am close and ready to graduate.

What's Next in 2023 for CAA?

deanna@collegeofadaptivearts.org (DeAnna Pursai) — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 00:27:26 GMT

What's Next in 2023 for CAA?

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”- Paulo Coelho.

When Dr. Pamela Lindsay and DeAnna Pursai co-founded College of Adaptive Arts in 2009, certainly this notion was predicated on a dream of new educational possibilities for adults who historically have not had access. College of Adaptive Arts opened its door in the summer of 2009 to 12 adults enrolled in the 1 summer class in a rented dance studio in south San Jose. Fast forward to Winter Quarter 2023 CAA is enrolling over 190+ adults in 70+ weekly course online & in-person offerings across 6 states and is positioned on the beautiful community college campus of West Valley College.

What’s next in 2023? CAA is actively forging Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships, striving to serve as a value-add program for the West Valley College students for service-learning, work-study, and leadership training opportunities. CAA is excited to launch into the space of workforce development as we find our most outstanding W2 employees to be individuals who have also been historically marginalized in typical workforce environments. Our professors and staff are the thought-leaders, visionaries, and heavy-lifters who believe steadfastly in the abilities of CAA’s adult students with intellectual disabilities.

We cordially invite you to sign up virtual and/or in-person tour each Friday school is in session and meet our student ambassadors and help us build this expanded layer of higher education for adults who historically have not had access.

This is a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN inclusive collegiate partnership model for 1) adults with disabilities, 2) for their parents and careproviders, 3) for CAA’s faculty and staff, and 4) for host-campus .edu institutions of higher learning. CAA's vision is to show how this expanded layer of college education can become as widespread and accessible in the education space that Special Olympics so effectively provides in the athletic space.

Paulo Coelho also stated, "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." It's really happening here at CAA. College of Adaptive Arts is so grateful for the ever-growing community of dreamers, believers, and supporters striving to help bring this innovative equitable collegiate model to full fruition.

Learn how you can conspire here .

#community #highereducation #school #work #training #learning #development #leadership #help #opportunities #grateful #leaders #partnerships #students . ��

A CAA 2022 Pictorial Year in Retrospect

deanna@collegeofadaptivearts.org (DeAnna Pursai) — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 03:08:51 GMT

CAA is so grateful to the ever-growing community of world-wide supporters who believe and are supporting this innovative expanded layer of college education for adults who historically have not had access.

Please enjoy the 2022 CAA Pictorial Year in Retrospect: A CAA 2022 Pictorial Year in Retrospect ❤ (campaign-archive.com)

Sharing the Joy of College of Adaptive Arts

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 03:16:37 GMT

By CAA School of Dance Director Khalilah Ramirez

I'm writing this post from multiple perspectives. On the one hand, I am an everyday citizen whose perception of people with differing abilities has been permanently altered by spending time at the College of Adaptive Arts.

On the other hand, I am a professional educator who has been challenged to grow, stretch and expand my horizons as I work with the amazing population of people.

Since my very first day, It was clear that College of Adaptive Arts was innovating the education experience for people with differing abilities. Here, people are treated with respect, patience and understanding.

My first encounter with CAA was as a guest in their library series. I spoke to students and staff via Zoom presenting movement, music and playful practices that can be used to enhance the enjoyment of daily life.

I was shocked by the engagement, intelligence and eagerness of the students to learn new skills, as well as the sheer joy they displayed as they learned them. You can watch a replay of this event using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmff7_Nuf_Y&t=3533s

Later that year, I became a professor at College Of Adaptive Arts. I began teaching classes on a weekly basis. My experience with the staff was incredible, unlike anything I experienced in the corporate realm. My fellow professors let me know that they were invested in my success. The competitive aspect of work did not exist here. It gave me hope for the future. It gave me hope that we could all have a more equitable experience of work, life and professional relationships."

A Moment of Spontaneity by Danie Weaver, Director/Professor – School of Communications

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 12:58:02 GMT

A moment of Spontaneity:

As a teacher I have learned a few things about how to help class move smoothly. Muting the background noise. Using every student’s name to help them feel part of the class. My lesson plans are very rigid and formulaic so that we can cover everything I hope to cover in the short hour class time.

This was not the case in one such Thursday, In Reading and Writing Lab, we are continuing reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and as I always do I had an theme I wanted to get to. For those who have never been in reading and Writing class, I structure the class with review first then moving on to listening to the audio book of the book we are reading. Following that portion with talking about themes that relate to the book.

As we finished listening to the audio book, one of our students, N., asked an very important question. Does defeating the dark Lord make Harry Potter heroic?

Which is a question I’ve pondered with some of my friends who also have read Harry Potter. Never in class at CAA because sometimes the morality of someone is so black and white with our students that usually a question like this is answered with simple yeses and nos.

Now I know what you are thinking!! I ignored it, I needed to stick to the script, we wouldn’t have time to get to the very important theme.

Nope, I let the class dictate the discussion. I went off book so to speak to allow my students to discuss this idea. Well our conversation around this topic zigzagged from the importance of social morals and rules in every world, to the basics of world building. As these topics were being discussed by various people in the class. We decided ultimately that it depended on who was telling the story, and if this story was about Voldemort’s rise to power from his perspective that this would make Harry the villain in the story.

While we were having this discussion I kept an eye on the chat as well.

As we like to say during zoom classes the chat was blowing up. And indeed it was, another student, S., asked another very smart question. Our World has many different types of people, Asian, African American, and other ethnicities. Does Harry Potter have this as well? I immediately chatted back to him that yes they did, however I assured him that ethnicity was not as important as what the person or in this case wizard did. If someone was an Auror, or Charms student was more important than their ethnicity. S. responded via chat “Wow.”

I learned something very important during this class. Be spontaneous and sometimes don’t doubt your student’s intelligence.

Learning Is Not A One-Way Street by Professor Sharon Lea

Tue, 31 May 2022 12:53:53 GMT

As a teacher I learn from my adult students every day, actively listening to their intelligent minds, brave hearts and compassionate ways. I take the time, because I whole-heartedly believe in them.

By doing so, I learn from these men and women in meaningful ways, becoming a better teacher and human being. I ask their opinions, ideas and learn from the powerful words that they share with me. I do not preach to them about a topic– we learn together in this life-long learning model.

Learning should never be a one-way street between teacher and student. At CAA our students have important words to express and thoughts about how to make the world a better place. Just like any other adult, they have their likes and dislikes, opinions and ideas about the world.

Historically society has not wanted to hear these thoughts and ideas from these adults. That is changing and has been since 2009 when College of Adaptive Arts was founded. I am so proud to be a CAA teacher, where I go home every day knowing this population is finally being heard!

CAA does not want these students to be watching and listening to conversations, just sitting on the sidelines of life. We want them to be an active part in daily conversations and make an impact on the communities in which they live.

The ARTS model creates a safe and caring environment for our students to express themselves. A is for Attitude, a positive attitude. R is for Respect. T is for Trust. S is for support. This inspiring educational model works and I see it every single day in my students.

Just as on any college campus, CAA cardinals have strong voices and deserve a platform to share who they are and their hopes for their own lives. Now located on West Valley College campus in Saratoga, California, these cardinal voices are lifted up by others who believe in the CAA mission.

As a teacher I learn from my students every day and I wouldn’t have it any other way!!

New Family Thoughts with CAA & West Valley College

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 17:50:00 GMT

Figuring out how to construct a meaningful and engaging life for our daughter, aged 21 when the pandemic began and now 23, was an evolutionary process. Taking classes at CAA has been one of the best, most engaging, esteem building, fun, challenging (in a good way) pandemic “silver linings” we possibly could have stumbled upon for her. She LOVES her classes. Emma loves to learn and she feels great pride in attending college in a way that suits her. (Ie: no traditional homework with the attendant stressors). Not only are the CAA staff inspiring and positive people, CAA has found a wonderful home at West Valley College. The campus is beautiful and employees of the college we have encountered have been nothing but kind, generous and supportive. It is a magical place.

Our daughter Emma has a genetic disorder called Prader-Willi Syndrome. Like many disabilities, the characteristics of the syndrome run on a spectrum. CAA plays to Emma’s strengths in that the content of the classes is first rate. Instructors don’t talk down to or infantilize the students in any way. Students are treated respectfully and with the assumption that they are able to grow and learn. They are taught to treat everyone in kind. They are students with “differing” abilities with the focus on abilities. The values of mutual respect, humility, teamwork, etc. are laced throughout the program and are great values to practice out in the world. The positive ripple effect of the College of Adaptive Arts may be hard to quantify, but we know it is significant. We are grateful that our daughter is a proud CAA Cardinal.

Not only has CAA itself been a very positive addition to Emma’s life, we have found the West Valley College staff we have encountered to be incredibly kind and helpful. Our first day there the campus was quite deserted and we were not sure how to find the CAA building. We saw a lone employee getting into a West Valley College vehicle and we hurried over to ask him for directions. He kindly told us to follow him and he led us right to it. This past Friday, I lost my keys on campus.

After Emma’s class we had taken a hike around the beautiful campus, so we had quite a distance to traverse to retrace our steps! It was late Friday afternoon and I assumed I was going to get value out of my AAA Plus card shortly! We found ourselves in front of a facilities building. Though open, no one was at the reception desk and it seemed we were back to square one. I then saw a phone number near the front door on a smallish sign. Though the number went right to voicemail on my first attempt, on my second attempt when I planned to leave a message, someone picked up and he was like the angel earning his wings from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life!” He virtually flew out of the building to meet us in the parking lot, walked us to the police station o campus, chatting amiably all the while, and lo and behold our keys had been turned in there. We all virtually danced a jig, including the staff at the police station and our tale had a happy ending. West Valley College Staff have shown us a warmth and civility that is sorely lacking these days! We are grateful.

New Paragraph

Go Cardinals!!

The Mountain is Moving at College of Adaptive Arts

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 13:50:00 GMT

This has been such a transformative and pivotal time at College of Adaptive Arts. We recently created a new organizational chart from the ground up to aspire to achieve 2 million Sustainable/Operational budget & then future-goal-setting of that next expanded structure to support a $5 million sustainable/replicable operational budget. We were able to double our small and mighty management team from a founding team of 2 to the Fierce Four who are working meticulously behind the scenes to bring this innovative lifelong collegiate model to full fruition.

The CAA Mountain Movers board recently launched a ReGroup & Grow campaign to get CAA staff input to help us lay a solid foundation. We are building a robust pipeline of how to expand our onboarding process to bring to the right people who can teach more classes of interest and will maintain the highest expectations for our adult college students who have so much intellect, critical inquiry, & contributions for our community.

CAA has now reached out and has received full or courtesy vendorization in 7 of the 21 Regional Centers around the state of CA. Our goal is to outreach to the rest and to have those Regional Centers help us reach more eager adults out there who have historically not had access to college education. The Mountain Movers board has established Task Forces on Accessibility, Community College Partnerships, Grants & Underwritings, Marketing, and new draft legislation around ensuring an online learning option is here to stay & potential new codes supporting lifelong education for adults with intellectual differences.

We are up to 171+ adult lifelong learners at our first CAA Swenson West Valley College flagship site and in our online learning community. We don’t plan to stop until we reach every adult out there around the world who has been shut out of a traditional .edu collegiate experience. The path forward is through Inclusive Collegiate Partnerships fostering mutually beneficial programs and opportunities that will benefit both programs as well as the community at large. It is possible and the future looks a bit brighter each and every day. We are deeply grateful for the ever-expanding community who is jumping in to help Move this Mountain for these precious and eager adult lifelong learners. It feels amazing, and on behalf of the entire College of Adaptive Arts Mountain Movers Learning Family- we thank you and ask you to join on this epic journey.

#ShareYourCAAStory: Beautiful Testimony from a CAA Student & her Mom

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 13:51:00 GMT

“By Paige Delaney Kowalski, with help from Mom:

I am Paige and I am 22-years old. I live with my sister and my mom and my cat. I already graduated from Post Secondary. I go to a Day Program at Mission College and I take music, dance, and cooking classes at College of the Adaptive Arts. Before COVID-19, I worked at the Holiday Inn doing laundry and helping in the Breakfast Room. I like to dance and sing and hike with my mom and help my mom with cooking and cleaning. I like to talk about movies and actors and singers. I Google my favorite stars so I can learn more about them. I love being a part of Young Life Capernaum and I want to be a leader so I can help the younger kids. I love being a greeter at church and helping the little kids in the Sunday School. I play Little League Baseball and I am a big hitter. When I grow up, I want to be on American Idol and Dancing With The Stars. I love my life and I am happy I have Special Needs because I have a special love.”

“When Paige was born, the doctors and the books and the experts gave me lists of things Paige would never learn to do. It felt like I had been kicked in the gut. I felt nothing by dread for her future. Thankfully that feeling of dread got kicked to the curb when I started meeting with teachers and therapists and I realized I was the expert in my own daughter’s capabilities.

Paige has an amazing life. She is compassionate and caring. She loves helping others. She is resourceful and smart. When she was little, she brilliantly used her toys as tools to open locks and latches and escape the house. She is creative. She choreographs dances to her favorite songs. She is kind and loving. She encourages her friends and always has something uplifting to say about them or to them. She has strong opinions and is not afraid to say how she feels. She experiences a full range of emotions and expresses them all. She is constantly learning new things. She is a sponge for information and new skills. COVID-19 opened up a new discipline of remote learning. While she prefers to meet in person, she has learned new skills in her classes and has mastered using email!

Last Summer, Paige enrolled in College of the Adaptive Arts. She is taking some amazing courses! When she’s not baking up a storm in her Joy of Baking class, she is learning about the importance of warming up and breath control and posture in Concert Choir. She is learning so much about musical theater and watching classic musicals in her Musical Theater Appreciation Class. She is brand new to cheerleading and she is already choreographing her own routines in Cheer Squad. She is learning about history and culture while perfecting dance moves in Contemporary and Cultural Dance. And she is expressing her joy and love of musical theater in Joy of Broadway Dance.

Just like Paige, I LOVE her life. And I am happy she has special needs and I want to soak up every bit of her special love.”

CAA: An Innovative Lifelong Educational Experience

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 16:40:00 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts provides an equitable, lifelong collegiate experience to adults with special needs who historically have not had access. Founded in 2009 with 12 students in 1 musical theatre class, CAA has grown operationally 1608% to serving consistently 128 adults in 1-hour distinct adaptive college classes within 10 Schools of Instruction: Art, Business, Communications, Dance, Health & Wellness, Library Arts, Music, Science & Technology, Theatre, and TV/Film.

The premise is that any adult who wants to continue learning, growing, and becoming the best versions of themselves has a safe and engaging space to do so. Adults only sign up for classes that they have an interest in. There are no tests, grades or papers, and homework assignments are always optional. Adults ages 18+ are welcome to enroll who are still learning to read, write, and even to speak. Social cognitive skill-building happens in each class due to the nature of the ARTS Curriculum – allowing adults to A ccess new content, R espond to new concepts, T ransfer to an activity/practice, and to S ustain new skills in long-term memory by individual sharing & showcasing.

In March of 2020 when the Shelter in Place orders in Santa Clara County were put into effect, CAA was well-poised to take courses fully online. They had been developing and utilizing distance learning thanks to an infrastructure build-out grant from Adobe Foundation in 2016. CAA was able to fully embrace Zoom and take all 58 distinct courses online that last week of the Winter Quarter. Spring Quarter brought more adults hungry to continue learning, and the Summer Quarter which began July 6 has enrolled even more adults and expanded online course offerings to over 70 distinct classes each week.

CAA’s vision is to become as widespread and accessible in education that Special Olympics so effectively provides with sports . To this end, CAA has entered into its first historic partnership with West Valley College, whose Board of Trustees voted unanimously in July of 2020 to allow CAA to use portable space to continue the program while becoming a work-study/living lab/leadership training model for community college students. CAA believes this model of expanded college education will be able to fit on any and every campus of higher learning one day.

CAA Student Ambassadors are ready to give Zoom tours to anyone who would like to learn more about this innovative educational model of lifelong learning.

Dr. Pamela Lindsay: Univ of Phoenix Blog

Wed, 27 May 2020 16:42:00 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts proudly shares University of Phoenix’s latest Blog Post on Dr. Pamela Lindsay, Ed.D/CI, Co-Founder & Dean of Instruction:

Alum launches College of Adaptive Arts to provide equitable education experience for adults with special needs

A George Bernard Shaw quote was a catalyst to something life-changing for Dr. Pamela Lindsay. It reads, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” She includes it in her email signature as a reminder of the important work she is doing to educate adults with special needs.

In 2009, she helped launch the nonprofit College of the Adaptive Arts (CAA) in San Jose[1] to provide a college option for adults with disabling conditions who have aged out of traditional educational support.

Today, CAA has more than 100 students aged 18 and up taking more than 40 course offerings each quarter among nine schools of instruction.[2] CAA degrees are nontransferable and do not prepare students for job placement or a vocation. Instead, the curriculum is about feeding their curiosity and providing each individual with creative ways to participate individually, in groups and as leaders to show mastery of a concept.

Dr. Lindsay believes everyone deserves an education and CAA was designed to give those without traditional pathways access to a college experience.

“Our students have a hunger for learning, and they want to keep learning more. So, we give them that platform to explore what is interesting to them,” Said Dr. Lindsay, who earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, leadership in special education at UOPX. “For our students, we must engage them to lock what they are learning into their memory. It’s the same key cognitive development concepts needed in all areas of life.”

The idea for CAA was set in motion over a decade ago, when Dr. Lindsay and co-founder DeAnna Pursai, participated in a theater and choir fundraiser for students with disabilities. Many of the students who performed that night were “aging out” of the supportive programs, as state-sponsored support for children with special needs lasts through age 22. After that, educational opportunities are limited to those who can meet a college’s admissions standards without modification.

Dr. Lindsay and Pursai reached out to families to see if they might have adults with disabilities interested in classes in the arts. At first, a handful of special needs students interested in the arts joined music classes hosted in Dr. Lindsay’s home. From there, classes grew into a space for adults with disabilities to learn to live a full and empowered life as contributing members of the community through an arts-focused education.

They found they had the support and a solid base of students and families interested in participating. They needed a plan to turn their classes into a college.

Despite both having a passion for special education, the duo decided to take a divide-and-conquer approach to build CAA.[3][4] Pursai took on the role of executive director and pursued training to learn more about finance, business building and navigating funding sources. As dean of instruction for the College, Dr. Lindsay searched for a doctoral program to create the academic infrastructure for CAA.

She quickly learned that developing a curriculum that worked for these students would be difficult. She believed that it couldn’t be modeled after existing curriculum. She felt that it needed to be built from the ground up and focused on leadership and applied learning. Finding the right terminal degree to meet her needs was a challenge.

She discovered University of Phoenix’s doctoral program, with an educational framework built around the Scholar, Practitioner, Leader (SPL) model. The model focuses on lifelong-learning, leadership and positively impacting communities and workplaces.[1]

Through each course of her doctorate, Dr. Lindsay created materials and brought to life the vision she had for CAA’s curriculum. The result was ARTS, a curriculum model that builds on four key cognitive-developmental concepts, modeled after SPL. ARTS stands for: Accessing concepts, Responding to concepts, Transferring to independent understanding, and Sharing through leadership.

The University’s SPL model is designed to allow doctoral candidates to connect theory, learning and practice within an individual’s field so that thought leaders become producers of change.[2] Dr. Lindsay incorporated this into her curriculum focused on leadership and application. Programs are concentrated on the arts and each student’s learning is based on mastery of concepts and sharing it as a leader.

Pursai said she feels blessed to have Pam at the helm of curriculum and instruction for CAA.

“Pam is a true pioneer in her field. She established a curricular model and helped establish new procedures and processes to enable workflow to be streamlined, professional and easy to access,” she said. “Pam is so steadfastly committed to giving adults with intellectual disabilities a safe and engaging educational space to continue learning, growing and becoming the best versions of themselves.”

At CAA, meaningful participation in a course and demonstrating growth based on the ARTS model earns them credit. Students have the opportunity to earn a non-transferrable undergraduate degree when they complete 60 credits and move on to a 120-credit non-transferrable graduate degree and a 240-credit non-transferrable post-graduate degree.[3]

Dr. Lindsay is excited about what the future holds for CAA and its students. In addition to embracing the George Bernard Shaw quote, she and Pursai also march forward with the mantra “once a learner, always a learner,” and continue to seek out connections and networks of opportunity to grow the college.

“We serve one of the few groups not able to access education in an equitable way,” she said. “And we are finding more ways to do that.”

College of Adaptive Arts to receive city of San Jose commendation from Mayor Sam Liccardo

Tue, 05 May 2020 20:16:29 GMT

When: Tuesday, March 12, 6pm, San Jose City Hall

What: Student Ambassador Curtis Kitaji will speak on behalf of College of Adaptive Arts. He’ll be joined by 15 of his fellow student college students. Watch Curtis’ 1-minute CreaTV PSA here underwritten by Heritage Business Bank.

Why: College of Adaptive Arts turns 10 years old in 2019. It’s the first model of its kind in the country. It’s grown operationally 750% since inception in 2009.

About CAA: College of Adaptive Arts (CAA) provides an equitable collegiate experience to adults with special needs who historically have not had access to college education. CAA has grown over 750% since inception in 2009. CAA began with 1 musical theatre class, renting space during the day at Capitol Dance Company in south San Jose, with a student enrollment of 12. As of Winter Quarter 2019, CAA offers 45 different classes each week, enrolling a student body of 112, all adults with special needs who are not able to access an accredited Associate’s Degree.

CAA has received an underwriting from Cisco for 4 Bay Area LIFE Segments in 2019:

The first is an overview of CAA & focus on community partners, including City Lights Theatre Company: Watch Here
The second segment focuses on students and families: Watch Here
The third segment will focus on CAA Professors and Staff, over half of whom are also adults with disabilities.
The forth will focus on CAA turning 10 years old in 2019 and the vision to take this model nationwide to become the Special Olympics-type model for education.

For More Information:
DeAnna Pursai
Executive Director
Cell: 408-394-6816
Email: deanna@collegeofadaptivearts.org

Why We Give by John O’Farrell & Gloria Principe, Longstanding School of Theatre Underwriters

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:45:00 GMT

We have been proud College of Adaptive Arts School of Theatre Underwriters for the past 5 years. We have watched this small and mighty college grow tremendously over the years. When we first heard about this equitable collegiate experience for adults with special needs, we were amazed and impressed that a place like this existed. We were quite proud to invest in this innovative collegiate model.

We believe this is a wise investment, as we know there are so many adults out there that are yearning to be able to continue their education to become successful contributing citizens in their own right. Adults whose educational opportunities significantly decline once they are mandated out of the public school system at age 22. Adults who won’t be able to access that accredited degree on a traditional community college campus, but who are quite capable, eager, and hungry to continue learning and growing and reaching their full potential.

We are proud to watch our investment more than double during the past 5 years as College of Adaptive Arts student enrollment has grown from 45 adults in 20+ course offerings/week when we first got involved to now enrolling more than 121 students in over 53 distinct course offerings each week. We believe this team has the tipping-point abilities to take this lifelong equitable collegiate model nationwide and beyond. This team has demonstrated fiscal responsibility and creativity, using donations to grow the model over 1000% since inception.

During this period of the year we are most grateful and thankful to the hard work and dedication of the College of Adaptive Arts team. They really are Moving Mountains for adults who historically have not had access to college education, and they are empowering their student body to Transform Perception of disability more and more each day. Please join us if you can in helping this small and mighty college model reach its full potential and impact.

Challenging the Minds by Danie Weaver, Director, CAA School of Communications

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 16:51:00 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts is known for their dance classes, their art classes, theatre classes, and hip hop classes. However, some classes get less notoriety but are just as important. Did you know that every quarter, CAA offers eight classes that fall under the Communication department?

In these classes, students are challenged to use their minds and explore the world beyond their blinders. Let’s take the reading classes, for example. This quarter both the reading classes are reading works by C.S. Lewis. As the students are reading these fantastical novels, they are not only reading classics, but they are learning vocabulary, learning about themes, they exploring worlds that many may not have explored. Beyond learning about literary devices, students are learning the importance of loyalty, faith, how they learn to trust other people.

Speaking with Confidence, students learn the importance of good posture, eye contact, and vocal variety. Students are learning the significance of having a good handshake, how to carry on a conversation with others and how to be proud of the thing that they love and own it as part of who they are as a person.

In Grad writing, students learn how to approach difficult topics such as anxiety, loss, and even wishes and wants. The students also learn to stand up for their beliefs, explore who they would be in an alternate universe, and how to respond to life’s ups and downs. They learn how to express who they even when they are struggling.

In Poetry, students learn about alliteration, haikus, and rhyming. Students are learning the importance of connections in the world. Everything is connected, and those connections are beautiful, even poetic.

In Sign Language, Students are learning a new language through songs and lyrics. But more than that, they are learning about other cultures and discussing society’s norms and how they affect everyone.

C.S. Lewis said, “You never know what you can do unless you try, and very few try unless they have to.” In communication classes, students try and achieve because they have to. Because challenging the mind is akin to challenging the soul. Students flourish and become readers, writers, and successful human beings.

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Danie Weaver

College Of Adaptive Arts

Director, School of Communications

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” A.A Milne.

An Inspiring Message from CAA’s Board Chair Joe Siecinski

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:54:00 GMT

Hello Mountain Movers,

I am very disappointed I cannot be there to celebrate our 10.10 Epic 10-Year Anniversary in person. I wanted to pass this on to the team and to the community:

It is my honor and pleasure to work with this amazing organization. A great man once said, “if you want to change the world, change the way you look at the world”. We are changing the way the world looks at things and thereby changing the world. I would like to thank the board, staff, volunteers and most of all the students we serve.

We have come such a long way with the guidance and leadership of our esteem cofounders Pam and DeAnna. From a 1 room, 1 school with 12 students to an organization with over 120 students, 10 schools and a staff of 32.

Congratulations team!!!

We are now moving the Mountain and the best is yet to come. We have an aggressive plan a dedicated board and a devoted staff. We are taking the leap of faith to get to a self-sustaining funding model to expand across the Americas and the world!

With the support of the community we will move this mountain. We will be self-sustaining and we will change the world.

I look forward to the coming years and all the contributions we will make to world!! It is MY HONOR and PRIVLEDGE to be associated with this phenomenal Team.

Thank YOU and Go CAA

-Joe

Kim’s Story – CAA’s Inaugural Valedictorian of 2013

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:58:00 GMT

CAA Kim’s Story

In early September 2009 my daughter Kimberly and I heard about a new performing arts college & were told by a friend that the directors were beginning to hold interviews at a dance studio, in a mall, for folks interested in this newly formed college. I thought that was very interesting. My daughter, Kim, was 31 years old at that time. She had Down Syndrome and a Tracheostomy tube for breathing. My expectations were both high and low regarding this college. Kim was very high functioning…. She had many years of dance training but her trach?????

Her trach held her back from many opportunities, as she needed me or her Dad or a respite care nurse, to be with her at all times, to monitor her breathing. What did we really have to lose by going for an interview, I thought, plus Kim couldn’t wait to see what this college was all about! If it included dance & performing, she was “all in 100%”.

As we approached the dance studio, I could see two women sitting there waiting for us! I was nervous but Kim, being Kim, couldn’t wait for the interview to start!

I realized right away that these two women, DeAnna Pursai & Pam Lindsey, were the most loving two women (actually angels) that I could ever want to meet. True blessings.

We talked about Kim and when I started to talk about her tracheostomy…. DeAnna piped up and said… “TRAIN US!!!”. Tears still come to my eyes as I recall how sweet & accepting they were of Kim. Kim was enrolled in THE COLLEGE OF ADAPTIVE ARTS that very day!

Kim went on to perform not only dance (jazz, ballet & Latizmo), but she had opportunities to speak about this wonderful college! She also took part in theater performances and went to PayPal with her professor to learn more about public speaking. Eventually, she was chosen to be the Dance Department’s first student choreographer. Our biggest thrill of all was her becoming CAA’s first ever Valedictorian for the class of 2013! There were many graduating students in May 2013.

Students earned credits for classes they took. Kim earned many credits in her first few years at CAA. Any opportunity to be on stage, give a speech or announce a graduating student’s name made Kim’s day.

Our daughter Kim passed away on December 17, 2017 from a heart attack & cancer. The last two years of her life were spent mostly in the hospital and at home. Guess what??? She was able to Skype in to a class while at home or in her hospital room and take part in her CAA classes. She could see her fellow students & her boyfriend Robert using her iPad & they could see her! If there was a dance class, she could dance with her arms & her big smile. She felt good about herself, & in turn, she kept her will to live despite how fragile she was in those two years.

Kim would want the world to know that CAA is the greatest place in the world to mature, to grow in learning & public speaking and performing. DeAnna Pursai and Dr. Pam Lindsey are still the same wonderful, caring supportive angels they were the day we first met them.

Kim loved CAA. And so do we (her parents).

Submitted by: Candy Rains. 8/19/2019. Kim’s Mom.

A Breath of Fresh Air by Professor Sharon Lea

Mon, 02 Sep 2019 17:01:00 GMT

College of Adaptive Arts is a breath of fresh air for so many.

When you walk through the doors of this amazing college you feel invigorated and relaxed all at the same time. The joy is palpable as students want to talk about their life as a college student. They are a CAA Cardinal and they beam with pride.

CAA is not only a place of learning – it is a place of healing for students and staff alike.

When I first came to CAA as a volunteer, life had handed me back-to-back blows knocking the wind out of me. I couldn’t breathe at all. I wanted to help others in some way to get myself back out into the world again and yet, I needed so much help myself.

In April 2012 I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. After five weeks of radiation treatment and subsequent surgeries, I was free and clear. My husband and I were so very thankful. Gene testing showed I was at a low risk of reoccurrence. The future was bright and we were so blessed to know we had gotten through such a tough time, together.

My Scott, saw me through it all. But life knocked the wind out of us again.

In October, 2013, Scott was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive cancer. He fought a brave fight, but within 9 months, Scott was gone. The man who had helped me through my own cancer journey, was going to be my guardian angel now.

I was left reeling and wondering how two big tragedies could hit one right after another. I was in shock and I was numb. Even though I was out and about, I couldn’t breathe.

Through a friend, I found CAA and started volunteering. My first day, I walked into Pioneer High School where students were rehearsing Greasy Hairspray, one of CAAs many productions and I felt the fresh air as it entered my lungs. Something happened to me.

For the first time in a long time, I felt that I could breathe again and maybe in some ways for the first time. I too have a learning disability, even though I have an English degree and years of professional work experience under my belt.

The beautiful faces of our students, their positive energy and desire to learn made me get out of myself. I was able to see the life I still had and the future that was mine. Everyone I met was overcoming something and growing stronger. I knew that I could too.

I still missed my husband dearly, but I knew that he would want me to be happy. I wanted to be happy and I knew happiness is a choice. Professor Jay Torres of Latizmo Hip Hop Productions tells her students to make a choice, take a chance and make a change.

CAA is an amazing college and our students show me every day that we are all on a glorious journey to be the best version of ourselves…which is enough already!

Perspective of a Longstanding Donor

Sat, 10 Aug 2019 17:02:00 GMT

CAA is such a great organization; I am amazed at its growth in just a few short years, all because of the persistence of leaders like DeAnna and Pam.

I trained and worked as a high school English teacher, many years ago. My students were awesome. Many of them were “Communication Skills” students, 9th and 10th graders who could barely read. How they had graduated to the high school was perplexing. They had a reading teacher, and I was their writing teacher. There wasn’t much to that for most of them. Getting the thoughts down on paper was working, but getting capital letters at the beginning of sentences and periods at the end was not working for all of them.

I couldn’t believe that so many people were so challenged. I sent the most writing-challenged to the counselors for evaluation. They came back to me with the answer that yes, they had identifiable problems, but no, the services were not available to help them. Ugh. At the same time, I continued my education by taking special education teacher classes, and getting my Master’s Degree in Education with a secondary emphasis. The topic of my thesis was based on audio versus visual learning in the classroom. I didn’t prove much, but I learned a lot about people and their brains.

That was many years ago. I left the education field and went into the business world, which is where I met DeAnna Pursai, at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. She and Pam were getting into the non-profit world. I was amazed at their goals, which aligned with my own experience. By this time, I had my own special needs son, whom my husband and I helped navigate through both public and private education. Today he is a successful special needs adult.

Donating to CAA helps other special needs adults to grow, prosper, and enjoy being successful. Success is different for every human. I encourage donating to CAA, so that more adults will have the opportunity to find their success.

Erin

Erin Benford

REALTOR®, MA

Erin@BenfordRealEstate.com

(408) 644-5159

www.BenfordRealEstate.com

CalBRE# 01372912

Condos to Castles in Silicon Valley

Two Very Special Behind-the-Scenes Mountain Movers

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 17:04:00 GMT

It is with the highest honor that College of Adaptive Arts introduces to you two integral Mountain Movers that work tirelessly behind the scenes to grow this innovative collegiate model: Richard Hermerding and Bobbi Tafoya.

Richard joined CAA in 2014 as their part-time CFO. He helped get all finances streamlined into Quickbooks and helped guide the organization to use monthly financial statements to grow strategically and prudently. He was the first to catch that CAA’s information had been compromised during the big Target breach many years ago. He has helped ensure we all know about depreciation and journal entries of logging gift cards. He attends each board meeting and has been a steadfast rock of strategic guidance and oversight. Since Richard has joined the Mountain Movers leadership team, CAA’s operational budget has more than doubled, and striving for financial health and sustainability is at the forefront of the Mountain Mover Leadership Team’s mindset.

Bobbi Tafoya is CAA’s monthly bookkeeper and Regional Center invoicing lead. She helps to code each and every transaction to the correct chart of account code, and she runs the monthly board reports in a timely and professional fashion. She is the one who also inputs attendance each month to the Regional Center portals for processing. She meticulously keeps track of how many units are left on each student’s Purchase of Service (POS), and she works professional with the Regional Centers to support the over 100+ students who now have their tuition covered each quarter by the Regional Centers.

These 2 CAA unsung heroes are gracious, professional, and diligently work behind the scenes to support and grow this innovative, lifelong collegiate model of education. They are both fully committed to helping to bring this model to full fruition so that it can replicate and sustain and being as robust and accessible to adults for education that Special Olympics provides for adults who want to keep participating in athletics.

These 2 leaders never ask for any credit, are never in the limelight, and are so very essential to the financial and procedural growth of College of Adaptive Arts. To Richard Hermerding & Bobbi Tafoya, College of Adaptive Arts Salutes and Honors you today and everyday as true Movers of the Mountain to illuminating and cultivating the authentic abilities of adult learners of all ages and abilities.

The Power of High Expectations

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 17:05:00 GMT

This month in College of Adaptive Arts 10th Anniversary of creation, we’d like to honor a very special professor this month in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month in June. Professor Jay Torres is an exceptional leader in the special needs community as well as the community at large.

College of Adaptive Arts was privileged enough to meet Jay in 2014 through a connection from the Director of the School of Dance. She visited a class one auspicious fall evening soon after we were forced to exit our original site due to a significant rent increase. The time was right for everyone to find each other, because Jay joined our staff soon afterwards. The College of Adaptive Arts’ students have blossomed, the School of Dance has blossomed, and Jay Torres has absolutely blossomed into an incredibly exceptional and exquisite human being.

Isabella Jay Torres gets a group hug from her adult students with disabilities following her Latizmo dance class at the College of Adaptive Arts in San Jose, California, on Friday, Nov. 10, 2017. Latizmo is a combination of urban hip-hop, and salsa dancing created by Torres. (Gary Reyes/ Bay Area News Group)

Jay is an individual who has faced some keen complexities in life. Having suffered significant abuse as a child, having entered into jobs to fulfill the wishes of others, and having experienced a bout of homelessness, Jay found College of Adaptive Arts. She confided later that she had never worked with special needs individuals before this time.

This turned out to be a profound blessing, because she treated her students just like any other student studying dance, with the highest expectations, constant guidance, and support, and lots of lots of repetition. She has never once felt sorry for her students, and in turn, her students pour their heart and soul out during her Latizmo classes, so hungry and eager to learn more and more complex choreography and dance moves. Finally these adults found someone who truly believes in them and does everything within her power to bring out the very best in the students.

I witnessed these expectations first-hand this past quarter on a Wednesday night during a Latizmo Dream Team touring practice. She had asked for an extra half hour of practice for the quarter to get the students ready for some wonderful touring opportunities including at the sjDANCEco dance festival and the Redwood City STEAMFest. During one of these lengthy practices, I overheard Professor Jay state, “That was o.k., but I know you can do better.” Other comments throughout the class included “You are a professional dance team, and I expect you to perform as such.” And “That was good, now do it again!”

I observed lots of lots of dedicated, exhausting, absolutely fulfilling practices. Once she came over and started conversing with me during class while the students performed the entire, intricate dance routine entirely on their own. It was absolutely magical, and I could feel the pride of the students knowing that their professor cares and believe in their abilities through and through.

Another magical moment when was the Latizmo Hip Hop Dance Troupe had the opportunity to perform at Great America one summer for Disability Awareness Day. One of her students, below, was initially considered a shy, nonverbal student who had a hard time in the beginning even coming into class, let alone speaking into a microphone. After a year of relentless dedication and support, this student spoke into the microphone to a crowded audience the 3 bedrock tenants of Latizmo, Patience, Passion, and Perseverance.

Why Jay chose a positive path forward is a truly humbling and astounding testimony of the human spirit. This professor radiates love, compassion, and the highest expectations. It is the highest honor to have her as part of the College of Adaptive Arts family of Mountain Movers. Indeed, Professor Jay has created such a rich and engaging space of opportunity and possibility to allow her students to Move Mountains once regarded as insurmountable and impossible. And it has been with sincere patience, passion, and perseverance.

Learn more about Professor Jay Torres and Latizmo Hip Hop Productions Here:

https://www.facebook.com/kqedarts/videos/1817915938281181/?v=1817915938281181

https://www.kqed.org/arts/13819076/san-jose-hip-hop-dance-class-inspires-teacher-to-reach-for-the-stars

Dr. Pamela Lindsay bestowed the Sperling Alumni Achievement Award at the University of Phoenix Alumni Impact Awards in honor of the university's 40th anniversary.

Sat, 01 Jun 2019 10:50:18 GMT

What: Dr. Pamela Lindsay, Co-founder & Dean of Instruction of College of Adaptive Arts, was honored with the most prestigious University of Phoenix Alumni Impact Award for her groundbreaking dissertation on higher education for students with intellectual disabilities, paving the way for more research into this innovative field of study.

Why: John Sperling was a founder of University of Phoenix when there was no option for working professionals to be able to access higher education degrees in non-traditional formats. Dr. Pamela Lindsay was honored with this prestigious award for her parallel work providing college opportunities to adults in the community who historically have not had access to college education.

About the Award: This particular award is a special honor with just one recipient for work in honor of visionary founder John Sperling, the original developer of online education. Sperling was the first to create opportunities for adults who could not access classroom learning in a typical format due to work, age, schedule, etc. The award recognizes the work being done at College of Adaptive arts for similarly forward vision and progress, developing impactful access to education in new, unique ways with program processes based in Dr. Lindsay's doctoral work and shared research.

A Riveting Parent Perspective

Sun, 19 May 2019 17:20:00 GMT

How do I begin to describe the wonder we named Kaleaha Marie Maldonado? We have been blessed to have her in our lives for 30 years. We were told average life expectancy of a Jacobsen Syndrome child was 2 years old. We were told this by a genetic counselor when she was 3 years old. That pretty much sums up the information from 1970 we had until Kaleaha was 5 years old.

Around this time, I learned of the human Genome Project: The main goals of the Human Genome Project were to provide a complete and accurate sequence of the 3 billion DNA base pairs that make up the human genome and to find all of the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 human genes.

How did this affect us? Thirty-five families from all over the USA agreed to meet at Southwestern University in Dallas Texas. It was going to be a costly trip, so we needed help. A wonderful radio show team called The Dog House the hosts JV (Jeff Vandergrift) and Elvis (Dan Lay) helped us out by doing a fundraiser. JV swan from Alcatraz Island to pier 39. JV did it! His team and listeners Raise enough money and got us to Dallas Texas.

We all met there, and that evolved into the 11Q R&R USA group. You can learn more about that by looking up 11qusa.org. That was the beginning of a parental community that help me navigate the rest of Kaleaha’s educational years. I learned about IEPs and different types of programs to request assistance for.

Kaleaha’s educational learning started with regional center programs like early intervention programs. She had to learn sign language at 1st since she couldn’t verbalize well until after age 3. She was having multiple ear infections, and it took until this age to get her treatment to remove fluid from behind her ears to allow her to hear our voices. Prior to this her hearing was as if she was underwater.

Kaleaha continued from 18 months all the way through 22 years old in the public education programs. After the age of 22 we had a few special day programs that we tried out for adults. This is where most of our difficulties began, we tried the various programs that would allow a 1:1 aid to assist Kaleaha. After trying the multitude of adult special day programs that were available in our area. I was pretty much ready to give up.

We switched Kaleaha to the Independent Living Skills program known as ILS. This worked out well for a little while a couple of years in fact. Then we ran into difficulty with staffing so now we started using different companies. We always ran into the same problem staffing. It was never consistent, and this seriously affected Kaleaha’s mental and cognitive abilities, severely triggering her negative autistic tendencies.

We were incorporating ABA Therapies at the same time as using the ILS services, so we were able to hunker down refocus and bring her out of the cycle. Then we started looking for new programming. With a referral we visited College of Adaptive Arts. We visited this campus. We were skeptical at first about its functionality with an individual who required a 1:1 aide.

Kaleaha’s ILS service provider thought it was worth a try she was very impressed with the progress she saw with her other clients. My fear held me back for a little bit, but I really wanted to get Kaleaha into a program that would provide her with more normalcy like she had throughout her previous educational years. I thought, “Well let’s give this a try.”

We selected some courses and arranged various caregivers. Kaleaha started her first day at College of Adaptive Arts. It took a little bit to find her groove but once she did, she took off like a rocket! She started participating in programs that got her back out into the community. Classes that rekindled her love with cheerleading. Reading and speech have become new interests for her. She participated and several events and her collegiate career has been on a fast track at lightning speeds ever since.

As a family, we do not believe Kaleaha would have accomplished the amount of success and overcome the many hurdles that she overcome had not been for the staff and programing at the College of Adaptive Arts. They have formatted a program that seeks out abilities and applies the knowledge to format a curriculum that allows individuals with different abilities to prosper and shine like the superstars they are.

Kaleaha is one of the lucky students to have found the wonderful staff and program that is The College of Adaptive Arts. Please come a visit the program there is nothing to lose, but everything for your student to gain.

Spotlight on Graduate Student James

Fri, 10 May 2019 17:22:00 GMT

James Crownover has been a student at the College since the Fall of 2009. James is a natural performer and entertainer. He is very much most in his element when he is captivating an audience. James takes his job as an entertainer and performer very seriously. It is apparent that this talent is his innate gift and ability, and he regards this role as his true job and contribution to the community.

James has a very electrifying and engaging way of saying hello to the audience. When he delivers his booming laugh, his audience invariably just melts and is putty in his hands. He has performed well over 75 times over the years, from being Elvis at Christmas in the Park to being the Master of Ceremonies in his top hat and long tailcoat. James is kind, inclusive, and always has a warm smile for all his fellow classmates. He is a true gem to the College of Adaptive Arts, the entire Mountain Movers leadership team feel so proud to be able to showcase his authentic abilities.

I’m a Lucky Guy by Bruce Tirado, Father of CAA Student Ariel Tirado

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:23:00 GMT

I’m a lucky guy, lovely wife ✔, good son ✔, & sweet daughter ✔, let me share some of my lucky story with you, regarding the youngest in my family. Ariel joined our family nearly 21 yrs ago, and was a pretty cool, calm & well collected little gal upon arrival. Maria & I, were not so calm, but eventually we all settled in. I never expected my daughter to be such a force, to have so much life, laughter & joy, she makes me laugh every day, and smile, and wonder, and generally feel quite cheerful, whenever I am in her orbit. Ariel knows how to have fun, I don’t think there is room for a word such as “mundane”, in her vocabulary. Just walking along, seemed to be a party, with this young lady (photographic evidence follows).

In addition to being a proud member of the CAA student body, Ariel is a “Make-A-Wish” gal. Yup she took her entire family to Disneyland …. Ooops, I mean DisneyWorld, (her “Wish”) & so it was her treat, she flew our entire family out to Florida, put us up at a resort, had her own spending cash, and a fun time was had by all, for a solid week. So not only did Ariel fight off cancer (A Complete Success), she took, her entire family, out on vacation along the way. I love my Ariel, she is a kind gentle young lady, and her CAA community means the world to her, our entire family, appreciates the CAA community very much. I sometimes say to Ariel I am her friend, and she says…. Nope,,,, I’m her father,,, I think I want to also be part of her community of friends, as her friends mean so very much to her. CAA, means allot to Ariel, and Maria & I. I’m so glad Maria met DeAnna & Pam those many years ago, we have enjoyed seeing Ariel blossom, with her community of friends, seeing the students, explore all their talents. Ariel truly enjoys performance arts, and CAA has been a great experience…. Congratulations to the CAA Community, it’s been quite an excellent ride, 10yrs of Excellence, I/we are looking forward to the next 10.

Signed,

Ariel’s Dad (One of my very best titles)

Careproviders are Superheroes on Earth

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 17:27:00 GMT

I have had the honor of being my sister’s primary careprovider for the past 3 months. My sister is a 45 years-old, has Down syndrome, is severely overweight, has a 45 degree curvature in her spine, and has numerous other medical conditions.

I have never felt so exhausted, overwhelmed and exasperated while at the same time feeling so content and fulfilled. I have the most utter, deep respect and awe for careproviders. I believe they are the true superheroes on Earth. Here are some lessons I’ve gleaned and observations I’ve experienced while being my sister’s primary and full-time careprovider:

I did not know it was humanly possible to brush one’s teeth for a half hour. It is. On good days.
Bodily functions and all that entails are real, constant, unpredictable, gross, and ongoing, and utterly exhausting.
I had no idea that anyone could be stretched to the max and be pulled in so many different directions simultaneously – dealing with a broken refrigerator, and a husband’s surgery, and a ER visit for the sister, all while managing a teenager and all of her school pick-up/drop-off needs.
She could vacillate on a dime from being my sister holding a rational, typical adult conversations to becoming childlike and vunerable needing extreme and immediate support and care.
I realized that her demeanor directly reflected mine. The more I exhibited stress, irritability, the more she behaved the same. When I was mindful to keep my demeanor in a place of love, kindness, and serenity, she also would exhibit the same.
Maintaining healthy personal relationships with others in your life such as a spouse, friends, colleagues, and children is demanding, challenging, and anguishing and is an underlying source of tension and angst.
I experience unbelievable bursts of delightful, refreshing childlike innocence. She exclaimed one day, The ‘ups’ truck is here. I had no idea what she meant until I saw the brown UPS truck. I then realized when she kept saying she wanted to go to the ‘ups’ store, that is what she meant. Another time I had a long talk to her on the way to my college about how she had been mean to another student, and I needed her to do the right thing and apologize. She gave me a guilty look, pondered a moment, and exclaimed, ‘I came out here all this way for nothing!’
I realized how much I valued and appreciated the tips and advice from other careproviders, gaining valuable tricks and wisdom as we were passing each other and the hallway and experiencing brief bursts of respite sitting together during classtime.
Just when you think you’ve got one facet of life under control, another issue crops up at impeccably inconvenient times.
When providing care for another human being, you enter into almost a different time dimension where everything operates at a slower pace, almost like navigating in a parallel universe.

I truly believe that careproviders are Superheroes through and through. For anyone providing direct care to someone on a constant basis, they are giving the ultimate sacrifice and for sure the best versions of themselves. For parents of children with special needs who have done this their entire lives with no end in sight, I salute you, I honor you, I thank you, I am in awe of you, and you are sincerely and truly Heroes on this Earth.

Janet Heathcote: School of Dance Visionary Director

Sun, 10 Mar 2019 17:28:00 GMT

Janet Heathcote is a true inspiration to College of Adaptive Arts, to the special needs community, and to anyone who has ever had the pleasure to meeting and working with her. She’s been the Director of College of Adaptive Arts’ School of Dance since CAA created distinct Schools of Instruction back in 2013. Her and her husband were also early and instrumental members of the College of Adaptive Arts Mountain Movers leadership board to create this innovative collegiate model of lifelong education.

She holds the highest expectations of her students. The students come into classes with their heads held high, in the required black dance leotards, ready to learn and push the boundaries of their potential. She is a strong collaborator with fellow dance organizations such as the New Ballet, Los Gatos Ballet, and sjDANCEco. She is a fierce advocate for including all forms of dance and all abilities of dancers in the professional dance world. She was instrumental in facilitating the ability for one of our CAA dancers who happens to have Down syndrome to choreograph a piece which was performed on a professional stage, making history and raising the bar of possibility for artists and performers with differing abilities.

Janet is the mother to a CAA Professor who happens to have autism, a CAA student, and an CAA JR Cardinal College Prepper. She and her family have experienced their share of love and family anguish, and are a shining example of forging forward everyday with love, possibility, and strong family bonds. Janet is a sincere blessing to College of Adaptive Arts, and her legacy that she has set for the School of Dance will live and reverberate for generations to come.

Take a Chance . . .

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 17:05:00 GMT

In 2012, I was being treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and I attended a Showboaters class at the College of Adaptive Arts. Pam Lindsay was leading the class and lesson was that I learned in a college theatre class. I walk out of class with my mom and younger sister (who was the student in the class) impressed with the respect given, the terms that were not dumbed down and the joy that the students exhibited. I knew my sister Denae was enjoying her education opportunity, she was trying new things and learning and I saw my happy go lucky sister blossom.

Then in October, I was able to attend the Abilities Expo where Denae was performing with the puppet troupe and again I was impressed. This time I reached out to DeAnna Pursai and said I love photography, love writing, let me know if I could come and work or teach classes. It wasn’t until January 2013 that I started as an Associate Professor.

At the end of Spring, I was riding with DeAnna in her car when I mentioned that I was a cancer survivor and that one thing that helped me through my journey was poetry. I thought maybe we could have a poetry class. DeAnna and Pam liked the idea and that summer I was teaching about Haikus, Villanelles, and Sonnets to 6 students. Out of 6 of the students, I had one who said they knew what poetry was and liked poetry. After this class, one of the parents approached me and said I helped their student feel smart for the first time. My heart broke because this young man had gone his entire life not feeling smart.

We continued Poetry class, then there was Sign Language, and Reading Partners, and Grad Writing, Business Writing, Storytelling, Writing Lab, Spanish, Speaking with Confidence. Pam and DeAnna approached me and asked about a communications department.

Every new student that takes a Communication Class, the parent always says the same thing. My student cannot read or write, or I don’t even know if they like this subject but I want them to take an academic class, and this one fits in their schedule. I am always surprised by those students who take a chance on a new class; those students end up enjoying their class. They remember characters, they embrace poetry and love reading. The wonderful thing about Communications classes we create spaces where the real world and fictional world coexist. Students can relate to characters from novels, and this helps them overcome their struggles. The act of writing becomes a cyclone that helps Students with things in the past and they get stronger. They thrive all because they took a chance.

Keep Writing, Keep Smiling, and Keep Learning.

Danie Weaver

Director of School of Communications.