[NFBV-Richmond-Announce] FW: [NFBV-Announce] Project RISE: A Full Year Ahead for Blind and Low Vision Students, and How Your Chapter Can Help

Sun Sep 27 20:42:30 UTC 2026

See Joe's note below.

Warm Regards,

Jimmy Morris MA, NOMCT 

From: NFBV-Announce <nfbv-announce-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Joe
Orozco via NFBV-Announce
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 10:23 AM
To: 'Sarah Patnaude via NFBV-Announce' <nfbv-announce at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [NFBV-Announce] Project RISE: A Full Year Ahead for Blind and Low
Vision Students, and How Your Chapter Can Help

Hello everyone,

Project RISE has an ambitious year ahead, and I want to make sure every
chapter in Virginia knows what is coming and has a chance to help us reach
the students who need it most.

For those less familiar with the program, Project RISE is the NFBV's career
readiness and mentoring program for blind and low vision students ages 14
through 21. Our students range from high school freshmen to college seniors,
from braille readers and cane travelers to students who use print and are
just beginning to consider what non-visual skills might do for them. What
they have in common is that they are preparing for adult life, and we
believe the best people to help them get there are the blind men and women
of this affiliate who have already done it.

Our 2026-2027 calendar is built around the real skills students need to live
and work independently. What you will find posted so far is primarily our
monthly virtual programming, along with a handful of in-person experiences.
The calendar is still being built out, and we are actively planning
additional in-person sessions across the state, so please check back as new
events are added.

Here is a look at what is on the horizon.

This fall, students will start with transportation independence on October
7, learning to plan everything from a daily bus commute to a multi-city
trip, then put those skills into practice at our NFBV State Convention in
Herndon, October 22 through 25. In November, students will tackle personal
branding and first impressions, and spend a full day in Staunton at
Non-Visual STEM Day at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, using
the NFB's own hands-on science curriculum. December brings a session on
turning a bad experience into effective advocacy, followed by a holiday
service project in Northern Virginia where students give back to the
community.

In January, students will plan and then carry out the Winter Empowerment
Seminar in Richmond, timed alongside our Legislative Seminar so they can see
firsthand what it looks like to make a case to lawmakers. The spring brings
sessions on comparison shopping and decision making, a hands-on financial
simulation, and practical troubleshooting for when assistive technology
fails at the worst possible moment. We will also be supporting students
applying for the NFB National Scholarship, and the year culminates with the
NFB National Convention in Austin, Texas, in July 2027.

The full calendar, with descriptions and registration links, is available
here: https://nfbv.org/project-rise-program-calendar

More than group events

Group programming is only part of what we do. Project RISE also works with
students one on one on specific career readiness needs, such as preparing
for a job interview, building a resume, exploring a career field, planning
for college, or practicing how to talk about accommodations with an employer
or professor. If your chapter meets a student who could use that kind of
individual attention, please connect them with us. They do not need to wait
for a scheduled event to get started.

How your chapter can help

The single most valuable thing you can do is share this information locally.
Please pass it along to teachers of blind students, school transition
coordinators, parents, and any young blind or low vision person you know. A
personal word from a chapter member carries far more weight than any flyer
we could send.

I would also encourage chapters to think of Project RISE as a bridge. Many
of our students have never met a blind adult with a career, a family, and a
full life. When they meet you at a convention, a seminar, or a service
project, they begin to see what is possible. Some of those students will
become the next generation of chapter members and leaders, and we would love
to help make those connections. If your chapter would like to invite
students to a meeting, host a local activity, or volunteer as mentors,
please reach out.

Thank you for everything you do to build this affiliate. Our students are
better for it, and so is our movement.

With appreciation,

Joe Orozco, Program Coordinator
Project RISE, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
Phone: 703-594-9634
Email: rise at nfbv.org <mailto:rise at nfbv.org> 
Website: https://nfbv.org/rise

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