Washington, D.C. (July 31, 2009): Two hundred blind high school students and their mentors from across the nation will close out the second National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam in the nation’s capitol this afternoon. The students will begin their visit to Washington at 2 p.m. with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial followed by a march down the mall to the brand new Capitol Visitors Center, where the closing ceremonies of the Youth Slam will take place at 6 p.m. The closing festivities will include a presentation by the students about their week of scientific study, as well as a special presentation by senior officials of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA will present the NFB with two Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollars that flew aboard space shuttle Atlantis on its mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009. Astronaut Gregory H. Johnson will be among the dignitaries in attendance.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The National Federation of the Blind is thrilled that our second Youth Slam will conclude with a ceremony in our nation’s capitol and will feature a presentation by leaders in the field of space exploration. This is doubtless an experience that the Youth Slam students—and everyone involved with the Youth Slam—will never forget. This closing event will symbolize the belief of the National Federation of the Blind, and all of our partners in the Youth Slam, that blind people, like everyone else, have a spirit of adventure, a willingness to explore new ideas and new worlds, and a boundless capacity to imagine a future full of possibility.”

“I’m so proud of all the Youth Slam partners here today and the work you do every day, in every way. I’m also so proud of the students who’ve traveled from all over the country for a week of intense STEM training. You have so much to offer and deserve the opportunity to earn your stars in STEM fields. I am committed to making sure you have that opportunity,” said Senator Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. “I was proud to put $600,000 in the federal checkbook to support NFB's Youth Slam and to develop teaching and training techniques for the blind and visually impaired. I will continue to fight for federal investments in key programs like this one.”