American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Winter 2023 OPPORTUNITIES
Get Ready to Blast into Space
by Ashleigh Moon
From the Editor: The NFB is deeply committed to opening opportunities in the STEM fields to blind students. This spring and summer mentors from affiliates across the country will host STEM programs for blind children. In this article Ashleigh Moon of Arizona captures the excitement these hands-on programs bring to the study of science.
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not a barrier to active participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning, and NFB STEM2U is the perfect example. Building moon bases and launching rockets is just a day in the life for participants of the NFB's STEM2U program! Thanks to a generous grant from General Motors, blind students will have the opportunity to spend an entire day participating in accessible and fun activities around the theme of outer space.
Program participants will spend the day planning and executing their journey into space. Each student will be provided with a box containing all the materials needed to complete five fun activities. These activities will take them all the way to the moon and back.
Engineering a moon base, measuring craters, and designing a home on the moon are just a few of the fun projects the students will undertake. Each activity has been planned and tested with nonvisual accessibility in mind. The activities are designed to meet students at their individual skill levels. Students from third to eighth grade will be able to enjoy and learn, no matter their level of science knowledge and expertise.
Recently I had the awesome opportunity to visit the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute to try out these STEM activities myself. I love science projects, particularly science projects designed for children, because they are, well, just so much fun! I enjoyed launching my own antacid rocket (yes, you read that right!), and I decided what I wanted to include in my moon base. In addition, I got to learn how these projects will help participants work on key skills such as critical thinking and teamwork. Participants will have endless opportunities to work on alternative techniques such as measuring with tactile rulers and creating tactile drawings.
Of course, there is a vital key component to any NFB youth program. It is perhaps the most important program benefit: the opportunity to work with blind mentors who coach students through any challenges they may encounter. This connection has always been my favorite aspect of the NFB programs I participated in. Eventually I helped lead programs, and I plan to send my daughter to this one.
There is a sense of ease and comfort when you observe blind people, people like you, accomplishing the things you want to accomplish yourself. Programs such as STEM2U truly create a unique and powerful learning space that our blind students don't find anywhere else.
Now, are you as excited as I am about NFB STEM2U? With more than ten programs scheduled to take place in states across the country, there is bound to be one near you. Head over to the NFB STEM2U website, where you will find program dates, locations, and contact information. You can complete your child's registration today!
Visit the website at https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/nfb-stem2u or send an email to [email protected].