[Nfbn-announce] Colorado Center for the Blind: Time to planyour summer!!!

[Amy Buresh]

Now is the time to make plans to attend the Colorado Center for the Blind's
2012 Summer Youth Programs.  Improve your skills, get ready for college, get
a summer job and make new life-long friends when you are a student this
summer.   

The Colorado Center for the Blind offers the following programs: 

Summer for Success College Prep Program

Ages: High school graduates and older

Program dates: Friday, June 8 - Friday, August 3, 2012

8-week residential program

Earn and Learn High School Program

Ages: 14 years and older

Program dates: Friday, June 8 - Friday, August 3, 2012 

8-week residential program

Initiation to Independence Middle School Program

Ages: 11-14 

Program dates: Monday, July 16 - Friday, August 3, 2012

3 week residential program

For more information and applications please call:

Brent Batron, Youth Services Coordinator

bbatron at cocenter.org 

Colorado Center for the Blind

2233 West Shepperd Avenue 

Littleton, CO 80120

(303) <tel:%28303%29%20778-1130>  778-1130 1-800-401-4632

Email: ccb at cocenter.org Website: http://www.cocenter.org
<http://www.cocenter.org/> " 

At the Colorado Center for the Blind we offer three summer residential
programs for students in middle school, high school and college. The
students live with counselors in two bedroom, two bath apartments located
near the Center and will work on all aspects of managing an apartment.
Students are well supervised by their counselors at a ratio of 3:1. They
will also use public transportation to travel to and from the Center each
day. There are usually 2-3 students per apartment and they will work
together on such things as cleaning, cooking, food storage, grocery shopping
using shopper assistants, budgeting money, and sharing common household
chores. 

We place a big emphasis on challenge recreation activities such as white
water rafting, rock climbing and a variety of other events like major league
baseball games or trips to amusement parks. The students always have a great
time tackling these challenges that are generally perceived as inaccessible
to blind kids. 

All students participate in discussion groups where they talk about what
it's like to be a blind teenager. Topics of discussion may include dating,
dealing with parents and teachers, ways to integrate effectively into all
school activities, and various social situations. Students learn how to
problem solve, self advocate and take control of their lives. 

All programs share the core classes of Braille, cane travel, home
management, technology and philosophy of blindness. As an integral part of
our programs, students with residual vision are required to wear sleepshades
during the day and during other center activities. This provides for all
students to focus their attention on learning the non-visual techniques that
we teach at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Confidence and self-belief is
developed at a quicker rate and students can fully realize that it is okay
to blind and that their worth is not based upon the amount of usable vision
but instead on their ability with or without vision. 

One of the high points of the high school and college summer programs is
traveling to the National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention. This is
the largest gathering of blind people in the world and the students get the
chance to meet many successful blind adults and other kids from all around
the country. At this convention, they learn about the newest technology and
adaptive devices and experience some of the details of staying in a
world-class hotel. We will travel by plane giving them a good experience in
independently traveling through unfamiliar airports, packing and checking
luggage, etc. They will attend a formal banquet at the end of the convention
and appropriate dress clothing is the norm at this event.

Summer for Success College Prep Program

This comprehensive eight-week residential program for high school graduates
will prepare each student to handle all aspects of a university or
vocational program. Participants will have instruction on using readers and
Disabled Students Services, applying for scholarships and meeting and
talking with blind adults who have gone through the college experience.
Local college instructors will work with students on developing alternative
techniques in order to take courses including math, statistics, and
sciences. Students will learn to take effective notes as well as to manage
time. They will also learn to navigate different college campuses by
utilizing the structured discovery techniques that they will learn in their
cane travel class. 

Earn and Learn High School Program

This eight-week residential program serves students aged 14-18. Not only do
these students take the core classes, but they have the opportunity to
participate in exciting, paid work experiences. We work to match students
with jobs they find both interesting and challenging. It is exhilarating for
the students to get their first paycheck.

Initiation to Independence Middle School Program

This is a three-week residential program for students aged 11-14. In
addition to the core classes, this is an opportunity for this age group to
live in apartments with other students and a counselor, getting real world
experiences in their home away from home. Students will meet successful,
working adults in order to learn about various professions. These students
are excited to have so many new experiences

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