 Coming Events
You may join us for any of our special events and you may request to join us during one of our regular chapter meetings by sending an e-mail to Michelle.
DECEMBER
Chapter Meeting
Saturday, December 5- We will have our monthly chapter meeting in State College coupled with our annual Christmas Party. The party will be held at The Atherton Hotel from 12-2 PM. If you wouldlike to join us, you are welcome to attend!
We will also be sponsoring a recognition event that evening (6 PM- 10 PM) for several members of the community and the organizations they represent at The Atherton Hotel. Ticket pricing for the dinner is $40 for non-members, $25 for members, with donations always appreciated Tickets are available from any member or by e-mailing Michelle or by calling 814-234-4NFB and leaving a message.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
New News
Junior Science Academy•Leadership and Advocacy Program
Seeking Students for Research Study•Research in the Rockies•Scholarship Information
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY PROGRAM
The National Federation of the Blind Announces
The 2010 NFB Leadership and Advocacy in Washington, D.C., (LAW) Program
Engaging the Voice of America’s Blind Youth
For Youth Grades 6-9 or Ages 12-16
April 16-20, 2010
Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, MD
This four-day experience will provide blind and low vision students with a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of our country’s government, its history, and its culture while staying at the national headquarters for the National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, MD. In addition to learning about grassroots legislation efforts, how resolutions are passed, and how various blindness legislation is brought about, participants will learn more about advocacy work for blind individuals and available resources for blind students and adults.
Highlights of the Program include:
- Visits to historical sites in Washington, D.C.
- Meetings with, and presentations from, influential government leaders
- Presentations by influential leaders from the largest blindness advocacy group in the country
- Tours of the National Federation of the Blind national headquarters
- A visit to the International Braille and Technology Center, the largest lab of accessible technology for the blind
Program Details:
- Cost: There will be a $250 fee for accepted students. All other expenses including transportation, room, and board will be provided
- All accepted students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, teacher, or blind/low vision mentor from their home state
- No more than twenty-five participants from across the country will be accepted
- Applications are due by February 1, 2010, to be considered
To learn more about this exciting new program, or to apply online, please visit www.nfb.org/LAWProgram or contact Mary Jo T. Hartle, director of education at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2407, or by e-mail at mhartle@nfb.org.
Back to News
RESEARCH IN THE ROCKIES: Research Summit on Braille Reading and Writing
June 10-12, 2010
Denver, Colorado at the Denver Marriott City Center
The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute is cosponsoring, with the National Center for Severe and Sensory Disabilities and the Bresnahan-Halstead Center on Disabilities, a conference on Research in Braille. We hope to advance the state of research in the area of Braille in the USA. We encourage you to submit an abstract to this conference and request that you diffuse it to all colleagues who might have an interest in this field. Research related abstracts will be accepted from all members of the Braille community and will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary panel including academics, practitioners, and parents.
Back to News
SEEKING STUDENTS FOR RESEARCH STUDY
Students who are between the ages of 16 and 22 years who are braille
readers and users of assistive technology are needed for a study. This
study will explore how you use both braille and electronic information
for classroom work, and how you learned these literacy practices. The
purpose of this research will be to add to our understanding of the
current role of both hard-copy (paper) braille and use of electronic
access to information by people who are blind from ages 16-22, and your
attitudes and perceptions about both braille and technology. This
information will inform how we prepare pre-service teachers to instruct
young braille readers.
If you are interested in participating in this study or getting more
information, please contact me via email at fmd22@pitt.edu, by calling
412-521-5797, or by writing to me at:
Frances Mary D'Andre
5513 Posvar Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA 15260
If you are under 18, you MUST have your parents' or guardians'
permission. A consent form will be send to you in braille or
electronically after you verify that you are:
1. between the ages of 16-22
2. a student enrolled in school
3. a braille reader
4. a user of electronic assistive technology devices, hardware, or
software.
If you are under 18, your parents will also receive a consent form that
must be signed before you can participate.
Back to News
GEAR UP FOR GREATNESS!
2010 Junior Science Academy
National Federation of the Blind
Baltimore, Maryland, at the NFB Jernigan Institute
A STEM Program for Blind Children
Ages 8-12
In 2008, the National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS), a program of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, offered its first Science Academy program for elementary students. Once again, we are making this program possible for children in grades three through six. The NCBYS developed its Junior Science Academy (JSA) in 2004 in order to spark and enhance blind students’ interest in scientific study, an academic area that many falsely believe is too difficult for the blind. This year, with hands-on experiences, tactile materials, and innovative nonvisual teaching methods, the JSA will open its doors again to young explorers with two sessions of the program. Applicants can apply for one of the following dates:
Session 1: July 28-August 1, 2010
Session 2: August 4-August 8, 2010
The Junior Science Academy is a four-day session that will expose blind children to the excitement of science in real-life applications. The students will learn about how much fun science can be through hands-on instruction, field trips, and interactive activities. Attending parents will participate in a corresponding seminar with workshops designed to focus on meeting the needs of their blind children.
Program Costs
- There is a $150.00 registration fee for accepted pairs of students and parents/chaperones. All other expenses, including travel, room, board, and program materials will be covered by the NFB Jernigan Institute for all participants, including accepted mentors. .
Mentors Needed
- We are also looking for mentors to work in one or both sessions of the program. mentors help facilitate student activities while parents are engaged in parent programming. Mentors can apply online at the site below. Please visit this page to learn more about this opportunity and to apply to be a mentor this summer.
How to Apply
- Whether you are an interested family, or someone who is interested in serving as a mentor, please visit www.blindscience.org to learn more about this exciting event, or to apply. You may also contact the NFB Jernigan Institute at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2407.
Come join us!
Back to News
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
Scholarships for Blind Performing Arts Majors
New York, NY (September 21, 2009): The non-profit Performing Arts Division of the National Federation of the Blind (PAD, NFB) is currently taking applications for its Mary Anne Parks Performing Arts Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded at the NFB's annual convention July 3-8, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. The winner will receive $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to the convention. The scholarship is open to legally blind students (high school seniors through graduate school). Applicants must either be currently majoring in or planning to major in some form of the performing arts in the fall of 2010. The deadline is March 31, 2010.
Applicants will be judged on their performing arts achievements and excellence, performing arts-related aspirations and goals, academic excellence and community service endeavors.
"Finalists," says Scholarship Coordinator Lisa Ostrow, from the Boston area, "will be contacted for a teleconference interview with the Scholarship Committee."
"The Mary Anne Parks Performing Arts Scholarship," says PAD's President Dennis Holston "was created in memory of our late secretary, Mary Anne Parks, of Atlanta, Georgia. Mary Anne was a master's candidate and a dynamic leader who held several offices in the NFB. She died at age 30 in August of 2007 on her way to do volunteer teaching for Hands on Atlanta when a car struck the van in which she was riding."
Applications are available to download at: www.padnfb.org. To contact Scholarship Coordinator Lisa Ostrow, send an e-mail to: scholarships@padnfb.org.
PA State Scholarship information is available at your local high school guidance office or by calling (215) 988-0888.
YOUTH SLAM 2009
Youth Slam 2009 was a great success!! Check the NCBYS (National Center for Blind Youth in Science) Youth Slam Page often to see updates on video, audio, and blogs from the event.
COOL SITE ALERT!
With the popularity of MySpace increasing, we have been looking for an accessible way to enjoy the Web the same way as our sighted peers. I am happy to say that thanks to a wonderful group of designers Draconis Entertainment, we now have that opportunity! BlindSpots.net is our outlet to keep in touch with our family and friends and to make new friends, all while sharing our information and resources in an environment that is easy to navigate. Check it out and help it become bigger than MySpace!
Back to News
CHAPTER MEETING ADDRESS
Our usual Meeting Place: Panera Bread, 148 South Allen Street, State College
|
