[CABS] 2020 NFB BELL Academy In Home Edition

[Martin Becerra-Miranda]

Hi everyone,
Here is information on the 2020 NFB BELL Academy from the NFB website. Please pass this along to anyone who you think may benefit.

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The NFB BELL Academy—which stands for National Federation of the Blind Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning®—is a nationwide (United States and Puerto Rico) summer program that prepares blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people who live the lives they want.

In addition to Braille crafts, games, and other engaging projects, children learn vital independent living skills, and interact with blind adult mentors. Through these activities and interactions, the children learn that blindness or low vision does not define them or their future. 

Who Should Attend
Blind and low-vision children, ages four through twelve, who:

Do not receive enough Braille and nonvisual skills instruction in school
Could benefit from more Braille exposure over the summer
Would enjoy connecting with blind role models
To be honest, for a mother with a low-vision child, I was very uneducated by the blind word, and I didn't think he could attend an event like it…A friend that was taking her son, told me that I should try and we did. The first day was like a whole new world of possibilities and knowledge opened up for me.
Register
While we are living in unprecedented times, we know that the National Federation of the Blind has and will continue to meet the challenge of the times with hope, love, and determination. One of the commitments we made early in this COVID-19 pandemic was to provide resources for blind children and their families, and to support the teaching of critical nonvisual techniques and Braille literacy at home. We want to make sure that students, parents, and volunteers have the best NFB BELL Academy experience possible. We are condensing our academies into three nationally taught and coordinated sessions with support from NFB affiliates. This summer, two-week-long sessions of NFB BELL Academy will take place at 11:00 a.m. ET and at 6:00 p.m. ET. Each session will last for forty-five minutes during the following dates:

June 1, 2020 through June 12, 2020
June 22, 2020 through July 3, 2020
July 27, 2020 through August 7, 2020
Please note the 11:00 a.m. session taking place June 22, 2020 through July 3, 2020 will be conducted in Spanish.

Each registered student will receive the materials to complete all lessons alongside their parent/guardian via mail. Each day during the two-week session, there will be two opportunities to connect via web or phone with an experienced teacher. This gives students and families the opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other.

Complete the registration form to sign up for one of our NFB BELL Academy sessions (spaces are limited). The cost of this program is free to participating families. However, if you wish to support our efforts in providing Braille literacy please visit https://www.nfb.org/donate.

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If you have any questions or would like additional information specific to Colorado’s NFB BELL, please contact Martin Becerra-Miranda at mbecerra at cocenter.org

 

 

Be Kind, Be Safe & Be Fair,

Martin Becerra-Miranda, NOMC

Director of Youth Services

Colorado Center for the Blind

303.778.1130 Ext: 223

mbecerra at cocenter.org