Two Small Camps, One Giant Leap into the Future for Blind Youth:

Two Small Camps, One Giant Leap into the Future for Blind Youth:

Braille Monitor

November

2004

(back)

(next) (contents)

Two Small Camps, One

Giant

Leap into the Future for Blind Youth:

The Next Generation of Rocket Scientists

by

Danica Taylor

From the Editor: One

of the most exciting efforts the NFB has undertaken in a number of years has

been the two science camps for blind students we conducted this past summer.

Twenty-four young people have now been exposed to serious science in new and

exciting ways, and this is only the beginning. The importance of this early

NFB-Jernigan Institute program is such that we are devoting two articles in

this issue to reporting on what happened. The first piece is an overview of

the program, and the second is a much more detailed report on the two science

camps and where this program is going in the future. Danica Taylor is a relatively

new member of the NFB staff. Her first assignment as National Federation of

the Blind copy editor was to report on our new Science Academy. Here is that

report:

In the February 2004 issue

of the Braille Monitor, Mark Riccobono, National Federation of the Blind

manager of education programs, published an article entitled, "Reaching

Out for New Opportunities: The 2004 NFB Summer Science Experience." His

article was written in anticipation of the NFB Science Camps, which were coordinated

by the NFB in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA).

The

expectations and goals for these camps outlined in the article were ambitious,

and some wondered whether blind students could meet such high expectations.

The

2004 NFB Science Camps (in future to be known as the "NFB Science Academy,"

reflecting the fact that the objectives of the camps focus on academics and

learning rather than leisure) were held in two separate sessions. The first,

entitled Circle of Life, running from July 18 to July 24, included middle school

students enrolled in grades six to eight. The second session, Rocket On! running

from August 15 to August 21, included high school students who would ultimately

become the first blind high school students ever to launch a sounding rocket.

The

immediate educational purposes of the camps were slightly different, as can

be seen from the titles of the sessions. While both camps promoted interest

in the field of science, the Circle of Life camp focused on life sciences, while

the Rocket On! camp concentrated on the physical sciences.

However,

despite their apparent differences, the two camps shared a number of goals.

Scientists, camp facilitators, and other blind professionals mentored the students

in the science camps, giving them positive reinforcement and instilling a spirit

of accomplishment throughout the week of activities. According to lead instructor

Robin House, the mentoring allowed interaction between the adults and the students

in ways the youngsters had never before experienced. "One of the most remarkable

observations," says House, "was the way these twenty-four blind kids

touched the lives of each other and the staff in such a short time."

House

goes on to say that it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of

promoting science among blind youth. "It's hard to pull anyone into this

field," she points out. "It is even harder to prove to blind kids

that they can do it."

Many

blind students are told, either directly or indirectly, that hard science is

too complicated for them even to try. "The hands-on experience, performing

all aspects of science, will benefit these kids throughout their middle school

and high school years and into their careers, whether or not they enter the

field of science," says House.

House

also stresses the importance of an "I can" attitude, the notion that

blindness is absolutely not a hindrance to success in science or any other field.

This attitude was the foundation of the objectives of both camps.

Each

camp session consisted of twelve blind students invited to participate free

of charge. The NFB provided funding. The National Organization of Parents of

Blind Children (NOPBC), under the direction of President Barbara Cheadle, assisted

the NFB in selecting the students. To be considered for invitation, students

completed an initial interest form. Then Mrs. Cheadle interviewed potential

Circle of Life campers, along with their parents. The campers were chosen based

on individual characteristics, interests, and hobbies to form a body of students

with aspirations in many areas, including math, science, literature, music,

and social science.

Applicants

for the Rocket On! camp wrote essays on various topics, such as what they believed

the blind could contribute to the field of science. The students also submitted

transcripts of their grades and letters of recommendation, and the twelve best

applicants came to the Rocket On! camp session.

However,

the current success of each student was not the only concern in the selection

process. Just as important was each applicant's potential to excel in science

in the future. "We would like to see these students entering careers

in science-related fields," says Mark Riccobono. "Maybe some of them

will be employed at NASA."

Along with the NFB, NASA

worked as both a partner and a contributor in both camp sessions. During the

Circle of Life session NASA provided a day at the Goddard Space Flight Center,

where campers examined soil, plants, and birds. Through nonvisual observation

the campers could pick out important characteristics of the artifacts being

examined and link that information to the environment. Elissa Levine, NASA scientist,

provided a preparatory session for the campers at the Jernigan Institute that

helped prepare them for their work at Goddard.

NASA

also provided expertise and information for several different hands-on experiences

for the campers. The middle schoolers learned how to obtain a soil sample and

detect the characteristics of the soil by touch. They also discovered how to

identify certain elements of the soil by smell. They learned how to test water

for certain components and the way in which such a procedure gives scientists

knowledge about the planet. They themselves realized the benefits of this hands-on

experience. As Circle of Life camper Tiffany Clements of Ramona, California,

put it, "The camp experience helped me understand science because everything

was hands-on, so it was easier to figure out what things were and what they

did."

Campers

learn to identify plants at Goddard Space Flight Center. Left to right:

Bryce Gitzen, Andrew Wai, Robin House, and Daisy Soto

The Circle of Life campers

traveled to the Naturalist Center--a branch of the Smithsonian Institution--in

Leesburg, Virginia. Here the students worked with Professor Geerat Vermeij,

a blind marine biologist from the University of California at Davis. Of the

experience, Professor Vermeij notes, "Blind children need hands-on experience.

They need to learn what the scientific mode of thinking is; they need to learn

how to ask questions [and] how to make observations. Blind children get even

shorter shrift than the average sighted child does, so I think it is essential

for them to be exposed to science." This contact with Professor Vermeij

helped to mentor the campers by exposing them to successful blind professionals

working in the field of science.

The Circle of Life campers

then traveled to the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, where, along with

the camp facilitators and Science Center staff, they dissected a shark.

Students

dissect a shark at the Maryland Science Center. Left to right: Andrew

Wai, adult mentor Paul Howard, and Jordan Richardson

The National Center for

the Blind also conducted activities for both camps at its facilities in Baltimore.

Walter Adam, an engineer who works in the automobile industry, explained the

mechanics and physics of small engines. Dr. Kent Cullers, a blind radio astronomer,

discussed his work in a telephone conference call. He explained to campers how

he analyzes data using modern instruments and nonvisual techniques.

All

of these and other activities during the week-long camp helped to build the

confidence of the students and prove to them that blindness need not be a hindrance

to success in science. It's one thing to tell blind students that they can succeed;

it's another thing actually to show them that they can do it. This is exactly

what the camp facilitators strove to do--and they succeeded. As one camper put

it, "Now I actually know I can do dissections, make conclusions, collect

and record data, share and communicate information with others."

Like

the Circle of Life camp, the Rocket On! camp included the partnership of NASA,

which provided the materials and the facilities for the rocket launch, which

was the climax of the camp. Among the NASA personnel involved was Phil Eberspeaker,

chief of the Wallops Sounding Rocket Program. Along with Robin House and electrical

engineer Dr. Michael Gosse, he led instructional discussions with the campers

on Monday and Tuesday. The students learned about the history of rocketry, Newton's

laws, basic rocket physics, and basic electronics.

Dr.

Robert Shelton, a blind mathematician from Johnson Space Center, demonstrated

the use of a new software instrument that he developed, the Math Description

Engine (MDE) Graphing Calculator, which uses nonvisual techniques to convey

information to the user. Professor Bernard Beck-Winchatz, DePaul University

astronomer and faculty member, also made presentations to the campers.

Action

Reaction team makes sure that the rocket is properly loaded onto the launcher.

After initial instructional

sessions that included all twelve campers working together as one group, the

facilitators divided the campers into three separate teams. Each team was responsible

for a different part of the rocket launch. The Circuiteers were responsible

for the payload; the Ego Squad was responsible for the trajectory; and the Action-Reaction

team was responsible for launch pad operations.

On

Wednesday the campers made the three-hour trip from Baltimore to Wallops Flight

Facility to perform last-minute preparations for the launch. They arose at 3:00

a.m. on Thursday morning--launch day--and reported for duty at 4:00 a.m. Stress

levels were understandably high because the launch window was small--from 6:00

a.m. until 9:00 a.m. Also potentially uncontrollable factors could hinder the

successful launch of the 10.5-foot rocket. For example, the experimental rocket

had a hybrid motor that had never before been used at Wallops. During preliminary

testing some of these motors exploded. Although the cause of the explosions

had been identified and supposedly remedied, the possibility remained that the

rocket still might explode during the launch, despite the fact that teams had

done everything in their power to prepare for a successful launch.

In

addition to the possibility of an explosion, a high wind could also be a barrier.

But the launch went according to plan, and the rocket reached an altitude of

4,900 feet just twenty seconds after takeoff. A small error did occur during

the rocket's descent, however, which prevented the main chute from opening and

caused the rocket to slam into the water and break apart. Much of the debris

was recovered, though, in time for the campers to examine the damage.

NFB

President Marc Maurer congratulated the campers upon their return to the Jernigan

Institute at the National Center for the Blind. President Maurer and other NFB

staff watched the entire launch from the Jernigan Institute, thanks to a live

Web cast from the Wallops Web site.

During

a Friday-morning press conference at Goddard Space Flight Center, Director Ed

Weiler delivered the opening remarks. Then the campers discussed the mission

from their points of view.

This

past summer twenty-four blind youngsters, representing sixteen states, learned

firsthand that they have everything it takes to succeed in science. Expectations

were high, and success was achieved. But the fact that the 2004 camps are over

does not mean that the mentoring process is finished. The camp facilitators

have begun a follow-up program including a listserve through which the campers

can remain in contact with their assigned mentors, involved NASA employees,

and camp facilitators. A familiar expression these days is, "It isn't rocket

science." On the contrary, this is quite literally rocket science, and

success for blind people in this field is obviously possible. The campers at

the 2004 NFB Science Camps realize this now, even if they didn't before.

The

objectives of the 2004 NFB Science Camps were certainly met. But, according

to Mark Riccobono, the ultimate goal is to provide a National Center for Blind

Youth in Science as a facet of the Jernigan Institute. It will offer a clearinghouse

for educational resources--a centralized collection of resources related to

blind youth--that can be accessed by the blind youth themselves, their parents,

science teachers, special education teachers, and others in order to learn how

best to teach science to blind students. It would appear that this larger, long-term

goal is well on its way to fruition and that it is only a matter of time until

more and more blind youth will begin successful careers as the scientists of

the future.

Circle

of Life camper Andrew Wai, from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, sums up the positive

results of the 2004 NFB Science Camps, providing further proof of the effectiveness

of the program in teaching these students the truth about blindness: "Science

Academy has given me confidence in myself because I was able to see a lot of

blind people who have been successful in science. Probably without this camp

I would never get to meet such people."

For more information about

the application process for next year's camps, contact Mark Riccobono at <[email protected]>,

or visit the NFB's Web site at <www.nfb.org>.

(back)

(next) (contents)