Special to the Colorado Sun
Brendan Balmes has an internship at Crabtree Brewing Company through the University of Northern Colorado s Go On And Learn (GOAL) program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Two of his main responsibilities were filtering beer and running the keg washing machine. Balmes will soon graduate and hopes to find a job at a brewery.
On a recent Friday afternoon in Greeley, Brendan Balmes stops by Crabtree Brewing Company for a beer and to say hello to his boss, Jeff Crabtree. The 28-year-old works here as an intern, but the pandemic has put things on hold for now.
Special to The Colorado Sun
Isabelle Wilson brainstorms the qualities of a leader in a senior level Go On And Learn (GOAL) class at the University of Northern Colorado on Jan. 19, 2021. The GOAL program provides an opportunity for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to attend college.
Corey Pierce was strolling through McKee Hall one day in the fall of 2019 when he came across a group of students standing polished in suits and dresses, almost as if they were on their way to prom.
The students, however, had donned their formal attire for mock job interviews. For Pierce, director of the School of Special Education at the University of Northern Colorado, that moment carries a lot of pride and became a measure of success for a program he helped build from scratch.