Mini-Grants

The project will fund short digital stories and a community partner appreciation event to highlight the impact of BC’s Allied Health programs. The project will feature students, alumni, and employer partners from Medical Assisting, Clinical Laboratory, Phlebotomy, and related programs. It will increase program visibility, strengthen community partnerships, and celebrate future healthcare workers.

Ariane Hayes – Allied Health

The College Bound Resource Fair is BC’s annual community event connecting high school students with disabilities and their families to postsecondary and employment options. The fair highlights BC’s commitment to inclusion, community partnership, and equitable equitable access to higher ed.

Meg Iyer – Occupational & Life Skills (OLS)

The grant will support the procurement of Bioretention Urban Retrofit Devices (BURitos) that filter heavy metals and 6PPD-Quinone from stormwater before reaching nearby waterways critical to salmon. Made of compost and sand, the BURitos will be strategically placed on campus to reduce pollutants in the Lake Washington Watershed. This project supports BC’s Salmon Safe Certification, improves water quality for salmon, preserves the region’s cultural heritage, and supports indigenous placekeeping.

Elissa Gordon – Sustainability Office

This computational research project aims to investigate and compare the presence, activity, and modifications of the human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in the genome of individuals diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and those without ASD. The study has two primary objectives: first, to engage students in an open-ended, original research project; and second, to provide them with hands-on training in the use of gene analysis and bioinformatics tools for genomic studies.

Reza Forough – Life Sciences

The Counseling Center will establish the “Cozy Core Corner” or a similarly named space that will provide an ongoing service designed to support Bellevue College (BC) students and potentially BC staff, faculty, and community members. This initiative addresses the documented rise in mental health needs at BC, including a 158% increase in crisis appointments, underscoring the need for preventative support and immediate de-escalation resources for students.

Kattie Phuong Dung Dang – Counseling

A fundamental component of the ELC’s emergency preparedness protocols involves maintaining a robust supply of non-perishable emergency food provisions for both children and staff. This cache is designed to provide sustenance for a minimum of three days in the event of a widespread emergency, whether it be a natural disaster, a community-wide disruption, or any situation that might prevent immediate family reunification.

Melissa Hammons – Early Learning Center

With the return of the Florestan Chamber Music Ensemble, we will create a multi-day musical experience that will again engage Bellevue College music students and the campus community at large. The proposed activities will include a public score reading and a formal presentation of original music composed BC student composers, two virtual meetings with the ensemble prior to the residency and concluding with an evening performance by the ensemble.

Brian Cobb – Music

GenderThrive and the QTRC Community Closet are initiatives from Bellevue College’s Queer & Trans Resource Center (QTRC) with the goal of supporting all students to safely explore and embody the most authentic versions of themselves by providing free access to various gender-affirming products and clothing they may be otherwise unable to acquire due to financial constraints, unsupportive families, or other factors.

Kenton Westerfield – Queer & Trans Resource Center / Multicultural Services

This grant will provide a  one year subscription to ESRI Arc GIS Pro. This software will be used in the course GEOG 258 (Intro to Mapping and GIS). This one year license includes 1000 users, who are primarily students.

Ian Walker – Geography

Given the increased participation of students, faculty and staff in Grounds and Sustainability events, there is a growing need for more hand weeding equipment. This funding will help procure the equipment needed to support community involvement in campus maintenance. 

Branden Ellsworth – Administrative Services

This project would allow the college to automatically set the building occupancy schedule. Events2HVAC by Streamside connects the building automation system to 25Live. By connecting 25Live to Events2HVAC, the rooms would be temperature controlled based on the scheduled occupancy. Currently, the building is on from 8:00am to 7:00pm. This must be changed every quarter when class time changes. Events2HVAC eliminates the staff hours required to update every building by doing so automatically.

Cassidy Drew – Sustainability Office

This project aims to enhance outdoor play and physical development by adding balance bikes, replacing old/broken tricycles, and push-and-ride toys to the toddler and preschool program. These materials support the development of gross motor skills such as balance, coordination, and core strength, while also offering valuable sensory input through movement and “heavy work” activities. By enriching our outdoor learning environment, we will promote active play, confidence, and overall well-being.

Melissa Hammons – Early Learning Center

The Positive Policies for Adjuncts (PPA) committee is a subcommittee of the Faculty Council- BC Governance. Our group has been instrumental in creating the Adjunct Center (B142) and we would like to request a few items to improve the space, including webcams to for virtual meeting and office hour support.

Ian Walker – Geography/ FYS

This project will create a fully functional box office at Carlson Theatre through the purchase of a thermal ticket printer, computer or tablet, cash drawer, credit card reader, and ticket scanner. The new system will allow the music, dance, and drama departments to professionally manage ticket sales, process payments, and oversee events, enhancing the experience for students, faculty, and the broader community.

Naeim Rahmani – Music

The current radio control software is out of date and limits the campus to two channels that can be utilized effectively. There are currently 5 operation groups that use one of the channels and public safety to utilize the other. This grant funding would be used to supplement the expense of the software upgrades required to allow each operational group to utilize their own channel.

Tali Yehuda – Administrative Services

The education event will highlight the achievements of RN-BSN students and their impact across the community. The event will feature student-led project exhibits, interactive health promotion booths (e.g., blood pressure stations), and opportunities for networking between students, healthcare partners, faculty, and community members. This will showcase the program’s direct works with many community sites, while inviting potential partners and future students to learn about the program.

April Ambalina – Nursing

The BC Art Gallery supports up to three resident artists per year. In brief the program is as follows: Regional artists are invited to use our Gallery as their studio, create new work, and install an exhibition. During this time they commit to a regular weekday work schedule and agree to have the doors open and discuss their work with anyone that visits. Faculty are also encouraged too make appointments with these artists and bring their students for talks, which they do.

Chris Oliver – Art

This project supports the development of a new partnership with the Woodland Park Zoo by funding instructional, in-person class zoo visits during winter and spring 2026. We are currently piloting a Technical Writing class in which students craft and present zoo-themed proposals directly to a WPZ Learning Specialist. The WPZ funded our class visit this quarter, and this grant will enable us to extend our pilot to develop this partnership and build a case statement for future funding.

Sarah Ghasedi – English