<html>
<body>
<h1><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></h1><b>CONTACT:</b> <br>
Chris Danielsen<br>
Director of Public Relations<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)<br>
<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a><br><br>
<div align="center"><b>National Federation of the Blind Conducts
Engineering Program for Blind Students<br><br>
</div>
Baltimore, Maryland (June 21, 2016)</b>: The National Federation of the
Blind Jernigan Institute, under the auspices of its National Center for
Blind Youth in Science, will conduct the first of two summer engineering
programs for blind high school students here this week. The NFB EQ
program, supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, is
designed to help blind students find their "engineering
quotient" by engaging them in projects to help solve real-world
problems in realistic scenarios. Each team of students will create
proposals with accompanying models, which the team will pitch to various
stakeholders. After constructing life-size prototypes of their designs,
the students will test them in authentic settings. They will also have
the opportunity to meet and collaborate with a number of engineers from
across the country, some of whom happen to be blind. In this week's
program, the students will design and construct water filtration systems
and boats capable of carrying two people each, to provide potable water
and transportation to a fictional group of campers trapped on an island
after torrential rain and mudslides. Among other techniques, the students
will use tools to create tactile drawings.<br><br>
Throughout the program, students will work to demonstrate mastery of the
engineering design processes, as well as engineering concepts such as
prototyping, design viability, and data collection and analysis. This
program will provide teens with the opportunity to hone their engineering
skillsfrom technical knowledge, to problem solving ability, to the
understanding that through engineering one can improve other people’s
quality of life. A second program will be conducted July 31–August
6.<br><br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "Engineering and other STEM fields are often falsely thought
to be closed to the blind, although there are many blind people working
in such fields. This program, the latest in our series of groundbreaking
efforts to engage blind youth in STEM, will allow twenty blind students
from across the nation to explore engineering and build the skills and
confidence they will need to succeed in the career of their choice and
live the lives they want."<br><br>
For more information about the program, please visit
<a href="http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5516&qid=1306001">
http://www.blindscience.org/NFBEQ</a>.<br><br>
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science
Foundation under Grant No. 1322855.<br><br>
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in
this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the National Science Foundation.<br><br>
<div align="center"><b>###<br><br>
</div>
About the National Federation of the Blind<br><br>
</b>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br><br>
<br>
National Federation of the Blind<br>
200 East Wells Street<br>
at Jernigan Place<br>
Baltimore, MD 21230<br>
United States<br>
(410) 659-9314
<a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/unsubscribe?reset=1&jid=2986&qid=1306001&h=8b416147129de30f">
<br><br>
<br>
Unsubscribe from this mailing</a> or
<a href="https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/optout?reset=1&jid=2986&qid=1306001&h=8b416147129de30f">
unsubscribe from all future mailings</a>. </body>
</html>