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"From the unanswered questions about our world to the puzzles of the
universe and beyond, we imagine a future where the blind are
encouraged and empowered to apply their diverse capabilities to the
exploration of new horizons along with their sighted peers. That is
why we, the blind, have committed our Jernigan Institute to improving
educational opportunities for blind youth in a way that no one else
has ever imagined."
—Dr. Marc Maurer, President
National Federation of the Blind
For
too long blind youth have been denied full participation in public
school science classrooms. Insufficient hands-on materials, few
teachers who understand tactile learning, and lack of access to blind
role models and resources have placed artificial barriers on blind
youth in the sciences.
In
order to dramatically change the opportunities and resources available
to blind youth in the science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) subjects and careers, the Jernigan Institute has initiated a
bold national vision for the next generation of blind explorers—the
National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS).
A
significant part of the NCBYS will be comprehensive Web Portal,
which is funded through a grant from the National
Science Foundation. On September 1, 2005, a project
began at the Jernigan
Institute to broaden the NCBYS pages on this site into a one-of-a-kind
resource for teachers, parents, and blind students.
Expected to be launched in summer 2006, the NCBYS Web
Portal will be the nation’s #1 source for information about how the
blind can compete in STEM careers.
As part of this next step in the NCBYS development, we want
your input. If you have
resources, ideas, or other contributions to make to the development of
the Web Portal, please send your thoughts to Mark
A. Riccobono with “NCBYS Web Portal” in the subject line.
NCBYS Resources
The Jernigan Institute is a partner in the Vertical
Mentoring Workshop for the Blind (VMWB) and will host an
employers' workshop on July 28, 2006 as part of the VMWB. This
workshop will teach prospective employers in science, technology,
engineering, and math industries about the capabilities of blind
people and will help change misconceptions employers have about blind
employees. Learn more about the employers
workshop or complete the registration
form.
The NCBYS
is also opening doors for blind youth through events, such as the
launch of a new book, Touch
the Sun, by astronomy educator Noreen Grice. Hosted by
the NFB Jernigan Institute on December 2, 2005, students were able to
look at the book, as well as participate in hands-on astronomy
activities. The book itself features print/Braille text pages as
well as full-color tactile illustrations.
Youth
Programs are an important part of the NCBYS. One of these
programs is the annual NFB
Science Academy, consisting of two one-week summer sessions
designed to spark and enhance the interest of blind youth in science.
The NCBYS and NASA
are also pleased to continue the Excellence
through Challenging Exploration and Leadership (EXCEL) program, a
twelve-week
internship for blind students established during
the summer of 2005. In addition to these two programs, the NCBYS has
also received funding from the Office of Disability Employment Policy
of the U.S. Department of Labor to initiate a program called the Transition
to Independence Club, an innovative program aimed at increasing
employment readiness, independence skills, and self confidence of
blind or visually impaired high school students in Maryland.
In
addition to the above programs, the NCBYS has partnered with the
Montana Conservation Science Institute and the Montana
Association for the Blind (MAB) to offer a summer camp for blind
students focusing on natural history. Camp
Eureka! is for student 8-13 years old, and will be held
June 18-23, 2006. For more information, read the camp's brochure.
The Jernigan Institute also hosted the Goals
for Achieving Math Accessibility (GAMA) Summit April 14-15,
2005. During the summit, representatives
from companies, universities, and organizations developing hardware
and software solutions, demonstrated technologies and techniques that
would allow exploration of math by blind and visually impaired
individuals.
Please
take a few minutes to fill out our survey
regarding the performance of blind youth in math and science. This
survey is monitored by the American
Printing House for the Blind.
For
more information on the NCBYS, click About
the NCBYS.
Support
the NCBYS through the Imagination
Fund; for more information on partnership opportunities, to
discuss the information on these pages, or to make suggestions,
contact:
Mark
A. Riccobono
Director of Education
Jernigan Institute
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, MD 21230
Phone (410) 659-9314, ext. 2368
Fax (410) 659-5129
Please
bear with us as we construct this Web portal. Be sure to check back
frequently as we continue to update and add links.
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