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The Student Occupational Therapy Assistant Association (SOTAA) at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg has been involved with several projects this spring to assist the local community.

SOTAA members collected over 200 bags of clothing from April 1-2 as part of an on-campus clothing drive. All of the collected items will be vacuumed-sealed and shipped to poverty-stricken areas throughout the world in need of shoes and clothing. None of the collected clothing is shredded into rags or sold at thrift stores.

SOTAA also raised over $3500 for NJ Special Olympics. The donation allowed SOTAA members to participate in the NJ Special Olympics Snow Bowl, which was held March 6 at MetLife Stadium. Occupational Therapy Assistant students played flag football—in the rain—against other New Jersey organizations and businesses. RVCC SOTAA placed in the top 20 for fundraising teams and was awarded a trophy.

In addition, last month the RVCC students collected various art supplies to benefit Bridgeway House Psychiatric Partial Care Day Program in Elizabeth. Bridgeway’s Partial Care Day Program serves adults in mental illness recovery. The collected supplies will be used by the organization’s growing Fine Arts program.

In 2018, RVCC became the only community college in New Jersey to offer an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree for an in-demand career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Occupational Therapy Assistants collaborate with Occupational Therapists to help people improve their functions so they can carry on daily life activities. They provide rehabilitative services to individuals with physical, emotional, mental or developmental impairments. From teaching a stroke victim to brush his teeth, to helping a child in a wheelchair navigate a school hallway, Occupational Therapy Assistants help people of all ages handle daily tasks and regain their independence.

The Occupational Therapy Assistant AAS program is designed for students interested in entering the workforce immediately after graduation. It combines classroom instruction with clinical training in a community setting. The 67-credit program is designed to be completed in two years, with three semesters of full-time coursework and one semester of full-time, 40-hours-per-week fieldwork. Federal and state financial aid options are available for students enrolled in the program.

In order to practice as an Occupational Therapy Assistant, students must graduate from a program accredited by ACOTE and successfully pass an exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

The application period begins July 15 for the next class of RVCC’s OTA program, which starts in January 2023. For information about the program, visit https://www.raritanval.edu/occupational-therapy-assistant or contact Program Director Beau Younker, 908-526-1200, ext. 8416 or beau.younker@raritanval.edu.

RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 6, 2022

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #109