UNE Occupational Therapy program honored as STRIVE’s 2025 Business/Organization of the Year

The University of New England’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.) program has been named STRIVE’s 2025 Business/Organization of the Year, recognizing the program’s sustained partnership and service to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in southern Maine.

The award was presented during STRIVE’s 26th anniversary celebration, STRIVE Night, held Friday, Dec. 12. UNE occupational therapy faculty members Erin McCall, O.T.D., M.S.O.T., OTR/L, assistant clinical professor, and Jessica Walton, M.S., OTR/L, assistant program director and academic fieldwork coordinator, accepted the honor on behalf of the program.

STRIVE, a South Portland, Maine–based nonprofit organization, provides services and programming for tweens, teens, and young adults with intellectual disabilities. The Business/Organization of the Year award recognizes exceptional service, volunteerism, and community partnership that advance STRIVE’s mission.

For the past five years, UNE occupational therapy (OT) students and faculty have partnered with STRIVE to deliver hands-on programming that supports participants while reinforcing experiential learning for students. Through the collaboration, OT students lead Friday afternoon group activities for STRIVE tweens at no cost to families.

The activities focus on four core areas — movement, science, cooking, and arts and crafts — and are designed to be both engaging and skill-building. Students apply concepts learned in UNE classrooms related to human development, group facilitation, and therapeutic practice, translating theory into real-world experience.

Caroline Beals, Ph.D., OTR/L, CHSE, program director of occupational therapy at UNE, said the award reflects UNE’s emphasis on providing students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities that develop their professional skills across disciplines while contributing to inclusive, community-based programming that ultimately serves to better community health and well-being.

“Community partnerships like UNE OT and STRIVE are foundational to experiential education,” said Beals, an associate clinical professor. “They provide opportunity for immersion in authentic practice, strengthen interprofessional skills, and, most importantly, advance participation and quality of life with our community partners. STRIVE partners, in turn, help shape future OT practitioners as more inclusive and person‑centered in their approaches, and our students grow as reflective, compassionate practitioners. 

“We are honored to continue this partnership in years to come,” Beals said.

Recent sessions between the organizations have included collaborative cooking projects, such as holiday baking, as well as problem-solving challenges like designing protective structures for a two-story “egg toss.” Each activity is structured to promote participation, creativity, and confidence among STRIVE participants.

STRIVE representatives cited the program’s consistency and commitment as key reasons for the recognition.

“UNE OT students have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to inclusion and empowerment,” STRIVE representatives said. “Their dedication exemplifies the values we seek to honor with this award.”