[Nfb-or] Student Outreach

T. Joseph Carter carter.tjoseph at gmail.com
Mon May 4 08:58:27 UTC 2009


I don't think we even talked about the NFB.  It was a Commission 
event, and they're not really tied to any consumer organization.  I 
don't think anyone not already connected to the NFB joined afterward, 
but I only know about three of the people who were there.

Dennis wasn't there, but he sent a number of those who were.

Joseph


On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 08:08:03PM -0700, Haben Girma wrote:
>
> Joseph, what you've described sounds like something I've done with the  
> California Association of Blind Students. Can you remember if any of  
> those students joined the NFB afterwards? Were the students primarily  
> from a certain area? During our meeting a you mentioned a contact at  
> Salem's Commission for the Blind, was he also on this trip to the Oregon  
> Coast?
>
> Haben
>
> T. Joseph Carter wrote:
>> The one Celyn and I did together was February 2005, so a long time ago  
>> now.  I haven't done it since returning from Colorado.
>>
>> What we did then was drive out to the coast with a bunch of high  
>> school students and a couple Commission employees for a weekend  
>> retreat.  There were lots of discussions about college life,  
>> independence, working with DSOs, etc.  There were also team-building  
>> games and other sillinesses.
>>
>> It was fun, and I hope they do it again, since they will be able to  
>> reach students that may not necessarily be reached otherwise.
>>
>> Joseph
>>
>>
>> On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 11:43:23AM -0700, Haben Girma wrote:
>>>
>>> I would love to read it when you find the time to write it all down.  
>>> Perhaps you could send it to the Braille Monitor, too.
>>>
>>> When you and Celyn were giving presentations, where did you go? How  
>>> many  presentations did you give? What were the presentations about?  
>>> Did you  succeed in recruiting new members to the NFB?
>>>
>>> Haben
>>>
>>> T. Joseph Carter wrote:
>>>> It is.  It's just a stepping stone to where I am going, but it's a  
>>>> very hard won stepping stone.  The roadblocks keep coming and I  
>>>> keep  finding ways around, over, or right through them.  I'll leave 
>>>> no doubt  in anyone's mind that I have earned this degree by June,  
>>>> whether it is  conferred or not.
>>>>
>>>> When this is all over with, I really must write it down somewhere.  
>>>>  The change that made this possible happened--or maybe just began 
>>>> to  happen--while I was in Colorado.  The Federation had a lot to 
>>>> do with  me getting myself to this point.
>>>>
>>>> Joseph
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, May 03, 2009 at 01:01:33AM -0700, Haben Girma wrote:
>>>>> Congrats, Joseph! Is this the master's in special education?
>>>>>
>>>>> T. Joseph Carter wrote:
>>>>>> Celyn and I have both been part of such presentations before 
>>>>>> with  the  Commission for the Blind.  They haven't done one 
>>>>>> recently to  my  knowledge. Renee's done on 6/13, Joseph's not 
>>>>>> done until 6/14  because he's walking that Saturday.  *smile*
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joseph
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, May 02, 2009 at 11:39:05PM -0700, Haben Girma wrote:
>>>>>>> Dear Mike,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You have a great idea. Perhaps we should write letters to the 
>>>>>>>   schools  and agencies offering to give presentations. I 
>>>>>>> used to  give  presentations in my community back in 
>>>>>>> California after I came back  from  a volunteer trip to West 
>>>>>>> Africa. All of us--Joseph, Renee,  Bill, and  others--have 
>>>>>>> stories to share with students. We could go  to schools that  
>>>>>>> have blind students to provide advice about getting  into 
>>>>>>> college and  succeeding in college, and in the process  
>>>>>>> representing the NFB of Oregon  and encouraging the students 
>>>>>>> to join. I absolutely agree with you that  friendships are 
>>>>>>> powerful tools for  drawing people into an organization.  I'm 
>>>>>>> contemplating an outreach  program that would result in both  
>>>>>>> friendships and new members...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The summer months are approaching and many high school and   
>>>>>>> college   students might be harder to reach. Although if we 
>>>>>>> get the word out  soon  enough we might be able to get in 
>>>>>>> touch with those whose  semesters don't  end until mid June. 
>>>>>>> I'll have plenty of time in a  week when finals are  over at 
>>>>>>> Lewis & Clark College. Perhaps Joseph  and Renee will be done 
>>>>>>>  with their semesters soon, too.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There are several of us around the state and we can all focus 
>>>>>>> on   reaching out to those in our regions. Those in the 
>>>>>>> Portland region  have  had two meetings thus far, but, if I 
>>>>>>> remember correctly, there  are  students in Corvallis and 
>>>>>>> Eugene who are interested but have not yet  been able to meet 
>>>>>>> with other students in the division due to   transportation 
>>>>>>> and distance... The student division can have a  meeting  
>>>>>>> during state Convention, though, so that will give us a  
>>>>>>> chance to meet  everyone from all the corners of Oregon. 
>>>>>>> Until then,  we can use letters,  emails, and those who are 
>>>>>>> interested could do  presentations at the  schools in their 
>>>>>>> areas.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Would anyone be interested in going to a school in Oregon to 
>>>>>>> give a   presentation?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Haben
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mike Freeman wrote:
>>>>>>>> Haben:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I have not met you although I more-than-anxious to do so. 
>>>>>>>> I'm   President of the NFB of Washington.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Your ideas below are great and should all be tried. But in 
>>>>>>>> my   experience, the only thing that *really* works is 
>>>>>>>> personal   outreach,  i.e., going to the high schools and 
>>>>>>>> colleges and  actually advertising  for and holding 
>>>>>>>> meetings to gauge the  interest of blind students. Making 
>>>>>>>> friends is the best way to  welcome and engage new members. 
>>>>>>>> I know funds and time are tight but the personal touch will 
>>>>>>>> accomplish far more than will written correspondence 
>>>>>>>> although email works somewhat better in that many of your 
>>>>>>>> generation consider it almost as good as personal 
>>>>>>>> communication.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Just one old curmudgeon's opinion.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Warmly,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Mike Freeman, President
>>>>>>>> National Federation of the Blind of Washington
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
>>>>>>>> To: "NFB of Oregon mailing list" <nfb-or at nfbnet.org>; 
>>>>>>>> "Vivian M.  Smith" <vmsmith76 at charter.net>
>>>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 1:16 PM
>>>>>>>> Subject: [Nfb-or] Student Outreach
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hello all,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> The student division wants to reach out to more students, 
>>>>>>>> and we need
>>>>>>>> help sending letters to high schools, colleges, and 
>>>>>>>> agencies for the
>>>>>>>> blind in Oregon that can pass our message on to blind 
>>>>>>>> students. Please
>>>>>>>> let me know if you would like to help out.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Haben
>>>>>>>>
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