Louisiana Center Announcements--February, 2012

Greetings All,

Please see the links below to download files related to a variety of
items of interest. For those familiar with Dropbox, these links are to
files contained in my Dropbox folder. This process is more expeditious
than sending file attachments and means that the email will be far
less likely to be targeted as spam or have the attachments stripped
from it.

Please distribute widely, and never hesitate to contact me with
questions or concerns. I hope each of you are enjoying a good 2012!

NFB of Louisiana Scholarship Application (deadline March 15, 2012)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/NFBL%20Scholarship%20Application.doc

NFB of Louisiana 2012 State Convention Flyer
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/State%20Convention%20Flyer%202012.doc

NFB of Louisiana 2012 State Convention Preregistration Form
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/pre-registration%20form.doc

Louisiana Center Buddy Program (deadline April 6, 2012)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/Buddy%20Brochure%202012.doc

Louisiana Center STEP Program (deadline April 6, 2012)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/STEP%20brochure%202012.doc

NFB 2012 National Convention Flyer
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5954260/National%20Convention%20Flyer%202012.doc


Please see below for an announcement hot off the presses.

The National Federation of the Blind Announces the 2012 NFB Project
Innovation Program

Students Charting Their Own Course Into Scientific Exploration
July 25-29, 2012*

In 2012, the National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS), a
program of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, is
introducing an exciting science program for students ages 7-11 and
14-18 called NFB Project Innovation.  This pioneer program will focus
on fostering a sense of innovation and autonomy in young students by
allowing them to determine their course of study during the week of
the program. Students will ultimately focus on one investigation which
they will showcase at the Innovators Expo. However, multiple branches
of science will be explored throughout the program through extension
activities.

A unique component of NFB Project Innovation is how it will serve two
unique age groups simultaneously. The first of these two groups will
be comprised of students in grades 3-6 (ages 7-11).  This group,
called Junior Innovators, will stay at the NFBJI for three days, July
25-29.**  Twenty blind students will be accepted into this group.
Each student will be required to attend with an adult chaperone. In
this age group, students will interact with science professionals,
blind mentors, and Senior Innovators. They will have the opportunity
to show off their final innovations, which reflect their own personal
interests and research, at the Innovators Expo.

The high school students, called Senior Innovators, will serve as
junior advisors.  They will not only participate in this science
program but will model blindness skills, scientific investigation
skills, and techniques to their younger counterparts. Senior
Innovators will also have the opportunity to exhibit at the Innovators
Expo. Students in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18) are eligible to apply to be
a Senior Innovator.  The Senior Innovators will stay at the NFBJI for
four days, July 24-29, 2012.**  Ten blind students will be accepted
into this group.

There will be a $250 fee for each Junior Innovator/Chaperone pair and
a $250 fee for each Senior Innovator attending. Other expenses, such
as the cost of travel, room, board, and program materials, will be
covered by the NFB Jernigan Institute for all students and
student/chaperone pairs.

Apply now at www.blindscience.org. Applications are due by April 1,
2012. For more information on this exciting new program, please
contact Abby Bispo at 410-659-9314, extension 2312 or by email at
abispo@nfb.org

*Exact program dates differ based on grade level
**Date range reflects travel time.



Eric Guillory, Director of Youth Services
Louisiana Center for the Blind
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Voice: 800-234-4166 ext. 3009
Fax: 318-251-0109

emailed from

Visual Impairments Specialist Scotlandville Elementary http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

Louisiana Tech University's Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness

I knew the Center for the Blind up there in Ruston was an involved group concerning the education by and for the blind. I was not aware that they were cooperating with Louisiana Tech in this type of venture.



Hopefully there will be more young'uns up there in north Louisiana going into this field because we truly need them. There are not many of us here and most of us in my department can smell retirement in our very near future.






Here's contact information:






Professional Development and Research


Institute on Blindness


210 Woodard Hall


Ruston, LA 71272


318-257-4554


instituteonblindness@latech.edu

Braille Challenge in Baton Rouge

Greetings Everyone,
The Louisiana Center for the Blind is excited to announce that we are
partnering with the Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired (LSVI)
who will be hosting a Braille Challenge regional event on Wednesday,
February 24, 2010 on the LSVI/LSD campus located at 2888 Brightside
Drive in Baton Rouge. The event is slated to begin at 9:00 a.m. and
conclude at approximately 3:00 p.m. The Braille Challenge consists of a
series of tests designed to evaluate one's proficiency in interpreting
and utilizing the literary Braille code.
Students in grades 1-12 are eligible to participate in the event. Please
visit http://www.braillechallenge.org/ for more comprehensive information about
the contest (i.e., sample tests etc).
Though the thought of taking Braille exams may seem less than enjoyable
to students, it should be noted that they are eligible to receive some
nice prizes, and that for students who do extremely well, there is a
chance to go to Los Angeles to take part in the Braille Challenge finals
in the summer. Louisiana has sent students to L.A. in the recent past,
and we hope to do so again this year.
For questions, or to sign your student up for the Challenge, please
contact Phil Templet at LSVI via email at ptemplet@lsvi.org. We hope to
see you and your student in Baton Rouge for a day of fun and
competition!
Cordially yours,
Eric Guillory, Director of Youth Services
Louisiana Center for the Blind
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Phone: 800-234-4166
Fax: 318-251-0109