The OLS Bellevue College (OLSBC) course made a visit to an exhibit at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center in Seattle, called “A Better Way to Go: Toilets and the Future of Sanitation.”
The humor is intentional, but the topic is a serious one: Improving public health in poor countries is a major part of the Gates Foundation’s mission. As the exhibit points out, “3.5 billion people – almost half the world’s population – have no choice but to use unsafe toilets and sanitation facilities.”
OLSBC students got to see innovative designs that completely re-think how toilets operate. Some disinfect and recycle the water they use; others treat solid waste internally, rather than send it somewhere else. These self-contained units don’t require vast underground sewer systems, or a constant water supply – distant luxuries in many parts of Asia and Africa.
The Discovery Center provided educational materials to introduce the subject, which were shown in class the day before. Students were also asked to work out how they would get to downtown Seattle; their plans included carpooling and Sound Transit buses.
About the Environment and Our Community Course
Environment & Our Community is a three-course series taken in the second or third year of the OLSBC program and is one of the many courses students take to earn their associate degree. In this course, students build awareness of the Puget Sound by engaging in the pressing issues facing our communities.
About Occupational & Life Skills Bellevue College
Occupational & Life Skills Bellevue College (OLSBC) is an associate degree program for students with learning disabilities. In our uniquely supportive skills-based program, students apply academic knowledge through community activities, service learning and social experiences. Students identify a career pathway, gain marketable, workplace-ready competencies, develop better interpersonal skills and complete an internship in alignment with their career goals.
Learn more about our program at an upcoming Information Session, open to all prospective students, family members/guardians, educators, counselors and other service providers. Come learn why OLS Bellevue College is one of the best colleges for students with learning disabilities.
Last Updated December 10, 2024