[NYABS] Fwd: [Nfbnet-students-list] NABS Notes December 2015

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> From: Hindley Williams via Nfbnet-students-list <nfbnet-students-list at nfbnet.org>
> Date: January 1, 2016 at 2:20:31 PM EST
> To: nfbnet-students-list at nfbnet.org
> Cc: nabs-l at nfbnet.org, officeofthepresident at nfb.org
> Subject: [Nfbnet-students-list] NABS Notes December 2015
> Reply-To: Hindley Williams <hbwilliams16 at gmail.com>
> 
> Fellow Federationists,
> Happy New Year! Take a look at the last NABS Notes of 2015, which
> includes information about Washington Seminar, scholarships, state
> updates, and much more! You will find the NABS Notes below and
> attached.
> Please contact me off list at hbwilliams16 at gmail.com with any
> questions, concerns, or suggestions. Any and all ideas to make the
> NABS Notes better in 2016 are welcome!
> All Best,
> Hindley
> NABS Notes December 2015
> 
> The National Association of Blind Students --
> A proud division of the National Federation of the Blind
> 
> In this edition of the NABS monthly bulletin:
> 1.    The NFB National Scholarship – Apply Today!
> 2.    Congress Needs Your Stories!
> 3.    NABS During Washington Seminar 2016
> 4.    An Update on Our Annual NABS Café
> 5.    No Barriers Youth
> 6.    State Updates
> 7.    December NABS Board Meeting Minutes
> 
> The NFB National Scholarship – APPLY TODAY!
> 
> Are you legally blind?
> Do you reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico?
> Are you pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary
> course of study at a U.S. institution in the 2016 scholastic year?
> Are you available to attend the entire NFB National Convention in
> Orlando, Florida from June 30-July 5, 2016?
> Are you eager to meet Federation leaders and network with some of the
> brightest, most passionate mentors out there?
> 
> If you said yes to all of these questions, then we strongly encourage
> you to apply to our 2016 National Scholarship Program! To recognize
> achievement by blind scholars, the National Federation of the Blind
> annually offers blind college students in the United States and Puerto
> Rico the opportunity to win one of thirty merit-based, national-level
> scholarships ranging in value of $3,000 to $12,000. All scholarships
> awarded are based on academic excellence, community service, and
> leadership.
> Visit our website at www.nfb.org/scholarships to begin your application!
> Remember: applications, along with all necessary documents, must be
> submitted no later than March 31, 2016. Do not wait until the end of
> February to start gathering additional information and beginning the
> online form.
> 
> Congress Needs Your Story!
> 
> Have you ever struggled to succeed academically because of
> inaccessible software, websites, electronic course materials, or
> applications?
> Do you receive accessible textbooks late, or even not at all?
> Do you feel that your ability to excel in the classroom has been
> tampered with due to unequal access to education?
> 
> If you said yes to any of these questions, then we need your help!
> With just over three weeks until Washington Seminar, the National
> Association of Blind Students is making our final push to collect
> personal testimonies from each of you. With an ambitious goal of 250
> letters, it is up to you to help us reach just that. These stories do
> not take more than 30 minutes; and make all the world of difference.
> It is much more powerful to present 5+ letters when speaking to your
> representatives. Our Congressmen care; and they need to hear from
> their constituents in order for change to occur. Particularly for
> those students who are not attending Washington Seminar this year, we
> need your contribution in order to improve the opportunities for blind
> students across our nation. We are briefly sharing our experiences,
> urging Congress to support to creation of voluntary guidelines, and
> pushing for equal access to education.
> Please send all personal letters to Kathryn Webster at
> kathrynwebster.nfb at gmail.comm by January 10, 2016. If you need
> guidance when drafting your letter, please feel free to reach out and
> sample letters can be provided. Thank you for your commitment to
> changing what it means to be blind.
> 
> NABS During Washington Seminar 2016
> 
> This year, NABS is hosting an array of events that will surely grab
> the attention of any blind student.
> Beginning Monday morning, January 25, at 9am, we will kick off 2016
> with an engaging, interactive, and enlightening Winter Seminar. Come
> join us until noon to hear from our National President, Mr. Riccobono,
> our Governmental Affairs team, guest speakers, and so much more.
> Still curious after listening to our panel speakers and presenters?
> Join us in smaller group discussions moderated by NABS leaders to get
> all of your questions answered.
> Following the NABS Winter Seminar, we welcome all student presidents
> to join NABS President, Sean Whalen, for our Student Presidents
> Luncheon from 12-2pm.
> From 2-4pm, join our National Advocacy and Policy team for our
> Legislative Seminar where you will learn more about our four issues,
> hone in on best practices when conversing with Congress, and get all
> of your questions answered before we venture out to Capitol Hill
> Tuesday morning.
> You won’t want to miss the Great Gathering-In from 5-7 on Monday
> evening in the ballroom! Join our Federation family as we kickoff the
> week with high energy, comradery, and hope for the future.
> Finally, grab a friend and head on over to the NABS Café on TUESDAY
> night from 8pm-12am to enjoy some music, treat yourself to the cash
> bar, and indulge in some delicious food.
> 
> An Update on Our Annual NABS Café
> 
> During Washington Seminar, the National Association of Blind Students
> hosts an evening event with musical performers, food, drinks, and an
> auction. This year, the NABS Café will be on Tuesday night from
> 8pm-12am.
> Have you ever wanted to explore Sea World before or after National
> convention? Are you tired of your weak iPhone speakers and need some
> heavy duty Bluetooth speakers? Look no further. NABS has put together
> a variety of auction items from electronics to trips to a fancy Keurig
> maker with an assortment of K-cups!
> If auctions are just not for you, no worries! You are more than
> welcomed to come on in, meet new friends, interact with old ones, and
> snack on some great desserts. You wouldn’t want to miss a performance
> from the Federation-renowned Precious Perez and Meaghan Roper of
> Massachusetts, as well as so many others!
> 
> No Barriers Youth
> 
> Leading the Way: Grand Canyon Sound Academy
> http://nobarriersyouth.org/programs/leading_the_way
> This program is for students who are blind/ visually impaired or
> fully-sighted.
> A group of 20 teenagers from across the U.S. will be selected to
> receive scholarships for a once-in-a-lifetime leadership adventure:
> Grand Canyon Sound Academy.
> Dates: July 24-August 4, 2016
> Student Program Fee and Scholarship: In celebration of the National
> Park Service’s 100th birthday, the Natural Sounds and Night Skies
> Division is providing generous scholarship support. Youth participants
> will only be responsible for paying or fundraising a $300 No Barriers
> program fee as well as travel costs to/from Phoenix, AZ. (This
> reflects a scholarship of $2,700/person). Selected participants will
> be expected to fulfill a set of scholarship requirements before,
> during, and after the expedition.
> TO APPLY: Submit an online application and correlating materials here:
> https://nobarriersusa.wufoo.com/forms/2016-leading-the-way-grand-canyon-sound-academy/
> Application Deadline: January 8, 2016
> 
> State Updates
> 
> All state updates are printed below as they were received from their senders.
> 
>    Arizona
> Greetings and happy holidays from Arizona students! Here in the great
> state of Arizona where the sun shines year round and Mr. Clause has to
> shed a few layers before making his annual deliveries, we are excited
> to share some holiday updates. Last weekend several Arizona chapters
> held their holiday parties and it proved to be an excellent time to
> raise funds for the student division. Across the North valley to the
> Southern area of Arizona we auctioned of holiday gift baskets and were
> able to raise over $500. As the end of the year approaches and we are
> nearing the New Year we feel it is necessary to begin 2016 with some
> fun. Following our Christmas fundraisers we are looking into an event
> for New Year’s to raise awareness and do some recruiting. This year
> AzABS is sending two board members to Washington Seminar to represent
> Arizona and advocate on behalf of blind students all across the
> Nation. As mentioned previously we are working on planning an Arizona
> student seminar aimed to raise awareness of the NFB and how to get
> involved, how to plan for the transition between high school and
> college, and other fun topics. Things are coming together nicely and
> very soon we will be sharing the details of the event with you all.
> 
>    Colorado
> Winter has set in and Christmas is coming up, so the Colorado students
> got together last weekend for an afternoon of ice skating downtown
> Denver, followed by a night out at dinner.  We enjoyed getting
> together with new and old friends before we head out for the holiday.
> In the New Year, we will be starting our NFL play-offs survivors’ pool
> to raise funds for the division.  Everyone is welcome to participate.
> We are still planning a leadership seminar among other things.  Stay
> tuned for much more to come in the New Year.
> Happy Holidays!
> 
>    Louisiana
> On the last weekend of October LABS had our annual student seminar. We
> had around 40 participants from high school, college, and some LCB
> students as well. We had a presentation by Dr Bell and his wife
> talking about working with disability services, rehab, using
> readers/drivers, along with other aspects of college. We also
> introduced the various aspects of the NFB, discussing the difference
> between and getting involved in chapters, divisions, and affiliates to
> all the students in attendance. We had many other things going on
> throughout the day on Saturday and the students were able hang out
> Friday night and Saturday night with different activities to get
> acquainted with one another and build friendships that will hopefully
> last for a long time. The students left on Sunday morning to head back
> home. We had a great turnout and everyone seemed to enjoy the weekend
> and learn a lot of new information. I want to thank Pam Allen, Eric
> Guillory, Bre Brown, Treva Olivero, and the LABS board for a great
> weekend.
> Now we are getting information out for our state scholarship and
> getting ready for our state convention in April.
> 
>    Massachusetts
> MASSABS is excited, with NABS and NFBMA help, to be sending five
> students to Washington Seminar.  Almost 50% of the NFBMA delegation
> will be students, 4 of whom have never been to Washington Seminar.
> MASSABS will be hosting our winter student social in January at
> Boarder Cafe, a Mexican restaurant located in Harvard Square.  This
> will mark the five consecutive quarterly social we've hosted and will
> be the one year anniversary of the revitalization of the NFBMA student
> division.
> Finally, because students graduate every year, we are in the process
> of culling our membership and email database to reflect only current
> students living in MA.  However, we will be adding some additional
> students this year as they apply for our state scholarship which has a
> deadline of December 31.
> As we celebrate a fantastic year of growth in 2015, we are looking to
> increase fundraising and engagement in 2016.
> 
>    North Carolina
> NCABS is kicking off 2016 with one of our student seminars! On January
> 30, 2016, NCABS will host a seminar on financial planning and social
> security benefits.  That's right! The entire day is about money and
> how you can plan for the future.  The session will run from
> 12:30-2:30pm.  It will be held in Fisher Building on the Governor
> Morehead School campus.
> We look forward to seeing lots of you at Washington Seminar, as we are
> helping send five great students in North Carolina up to DC to
> advocate for blind people in America and educating the public on our
> abilities as active members of society!
> 
> December NABS Board Meeting Minutes
> 
> National Association of Blind Students
> Board Meeting Minutes
> December 20, 2015
> 
> Meeting called to order at 9:02 p.m.
> 
> Members Present:
> 
> Sean Whalen (President)
> Candice Chapman (1st Vice President)
> Bre Brown (2nd Vice President)
> Kathryn Webster (Secretary/Treasurer)
> Hindley Williams (Board Member 1)
> Chris Nusbaum (Board member 3)
> Michael Ausbun (Board Member 4)
> 
> Treasurer’s Report:
> Checking account: $4,741.38
> Savings Account: $1,720.61
> Awaiting $50 check from Karen Anderson from last year’s auction.
> 
> Committee Reports
> 
> Communications:
> Social media: Continuously increasing our friends on Facebook and
> followers on Twitter. Friend us on Facebook at NABS Link and follow us
> on Twitter @nabslink.
> Student slate: Blogs up for December! Nefertiti and Alex Anderson
> wrote reflections on the Legislative Leadership Workshop.
> NABS Notes: Coming out for December! Send any important info or state
> updates to Hindley at hbwilliams at gmail.com.
> 
> Fundraising:
> Wash Sem funding wrap-up: Funding almost 30 students to attend
> Washington Seminar. Coming in slightly under budget which is great!
> Will be finalized soon. Estimated cost is $5500 total. President has
> agreed to reimburse NABS for half out of general funds. Students who
> are receiving funding are required to attend multiple events at Wash
> Sem, including the legislative seminar.
> Auction items/logistics: Please let Kathryn know if your
> affiliate/chapter/student division can donate any items/gift cards.
> 
> Legislative:
> Letters: We are making the final push for Washington Seminar. Please
> encourage all students to write letters. These should be in by January
> 1, no later than two and a half weeks before Wash Sem. Send letters to
> Sean or Kathryn.
> 
> Membership:
> Math call wrap-up: 20+ people on the call on Sunday, December 13. Good
> questions; Eric Guillory and John Miller were guest speakers;
> recording will be out soon on website and list!
> Training Center story project: Will start working on this with
> committee. Leaders identified.
> New membership call in February (likely on scholarships)
> 
> State Updates
> 
> Hindley Williams:
> Alaska: in contact regularly
> Georgia: Hindley was there in October; successful Convention; few
> students attending Wash Sem; regular calls
> Kansas: Hindley was there; lots of energy; affiliate is very supportive
> Nebraska: just got new president
> Pennsylvania: Hindley is student president; trying to get a student
> seminar off the ground; 5 students coming to Wash Sem
> Washington: new division, new president
> Vermont: Difficult because of no student division; affiliate contact;
> will continue to follow-up
> 
> Chris Nusbaum:
> Maryland is doing really well; board retreat on January 2; Kathryn
> attends conference calls monthly with the board to kick start new
> division
> All other states are unresponsive.
> 
> Michael Ausbyn:
> Alabama: up and rising
> Maine: no student division, but Dylan-Hedtler-Gaudette is going to
> help start one
> Nevada: new board members; couple of people attending Wash Sem
> Ohio: trying to restart student division
> Oklahoma: working with affiliate president
> Puerto Rico: difficult contact
> South Carolina: working on membership, fundraising, and communication
> with new board
> 
> New Business:
> 
> NABS Board meeting during Washington Seminar before the Great
> Gathering In. More information will come.
> 
> Sean will send out a vote for a NABS Rep in Massachusetts.
> 
> Meeting adjourned at 9:42 p.m.
> 
> As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions,
> concerns or suggestions. The NABS Board works for you, and we want to
> know how we’re doing! Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back in
> January.
> 
> 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.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Hindley Williams
> hbwilliams16 at gmail.com
> (443) 823-0867
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