Take Charge with Confidence and Self-Reliance

Tag: Blind Youth

  • 2023 Summer Youth Programs

    by

    Dan Burke

    Ty and Seamus standing with their canes waiting on the train

    Confidence Camp/BELL Academy

    Dates:
    June 12 through June 23
    Ages:
    5 to 10
    Location:
    Colorado Center for the Blind
    2233 W Shepperd Ave.
    Littleton, CO 80120
    Ty and Seamus standing with their canes waiting on the train

    Program Description

    This two-week day program will be filled with learning, challenge and fun. Your child will meet competent blind role models who will work with the kids on cooking, cleaning, Braille, independent travel and technology. The kids will learn how to take the bus and use the light rail. They’ll have fun swimming, rock climbing, making a tactile art piece and going on exciting field trips.

    Learn more and apply now for the 2023 Confidence Camp/Bell Academy!

    … Read the rest “2023 Summer Youth Programs”

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  • No Virtual Sharks

    by

    Dan Burke

    Fourth-grader Jax removes the shark liver, which looks a bit like bunny ears.

    Fourth-grader Jax removes the shark liver, which looks a bit like bunny ears.

    Some things just don’t translate to the virtual. (Okay, after nearly two years with Zoom in our lives in a big way, we can say that a lot of things don’t really translate well.) Let’s put our annual shark dissection for blind and low vision students high on that list.

    And we’re not talking about the smell of fishy Formaldehyde down in the gym, though that is also true.

    We missed a year because of COVID concerns in 2021, and you could feel that surge like we are coming back as nearly 30 students participated in this year’s annual shark dissection with Arapahoe Biology Professor Terry Harrison on Monday.… Read the rest “No Virtual Sharks”

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  • Parents’ Seminar Coming UP: FOLLOW THE IEP ROAD! Are you ready?

    by

    Dan Burke

    NFBCO Logo

    NFBCO Logo
    When:
    October 30th, 2:30 to 4:30 PM
    Where :
    Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows and everywhere
    10345 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree, CO 80124

    Dear Families and TVIs,

    Please join us for a discussion about the journeys you are taking with your children. This event will take place during the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado State Convention. We are excited to host a panel of professionals discussing the items to be considered on the journey, beginning with birth and continuing through adulthood.

    Panelists:

    Tanni Anthony, Ph.D.
    Director, Access, Learning and Literacy, Exceptional Student Services, Colorado Department of Education Consultant on Blindness/Visual Impairment
    Carlton Anne Cook Walker
    Attorney at Law; Educational Consultant and Advocate, Blindness Education and Advocacy Resources (BEAR), Teacher of Students with Blindness/Low Vision; President, National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC)
    Michele Reed, MS
    COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Blind and Low Vision Unit, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
    Michelle Chacon
    Certified Teacher of the Visually Impaired, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist
    Amira Lucas
    Parent of a blind child, Licensed Professional Counselor , Adams
    12 Board of Education candidate elect

    Moderator:

    Anahit LaBarre
    Certified Teacher of Visually Impaired, Director of Youth Services at the Colorado Center for the Blind

    Please join us in person or virtually, as our panelists discuss and answer your questions about the following topics of importance to parents of blind kids:

    • Early childhood and transitioning from pre-school into a public school setting
    • Accommodations versus modifications; Specially-designed instruction
    • IEP goals and what should they look like
    • Transitioning into middle and high school
    • Post-secondary planning and outcomes
    • Parent input and parent roles
    • What happens if the IEP team does not agree as to what the child needs on his/her IEP
    • What is WIOA, and what does it mean for my teenager?… Read the rest “Parents’ Seminar Coming UP: FOLLOW THE IEP ROAD! Are you ready?”

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  • Announcing Homework Club!

    by

    Dan Burke

    Anahit and Nate Making a Sandwitch

    After School Program

    Editor’s Note: This announcement went out via email this week, but constitutes months of dreaming, planning and recruitment and coordination. Suddenly, our familiarity with virtual platforms creates an opportunity to reach out to blind kids in new and innovative ways!

    Anahit and Nate Making a Sandwitch

    Dear Parents/Guardians:

    Thank you for being strong and supportive partners in your blind/low vision child’s educational journey! We know that homework, some new concepts and various skills can be overwhelming to tackle. Perhaps at times, your child might just need to check in to refresh their knowledge about a particular topic. Our new program, Homework Club, is here to assist!… Read the rest “Announcing Homework Club!”

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  • Our First FAST In-person for 2021!

    by

    Dan Burke

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    March to the Beat of Your Own Drum

    Our first 2021 in-person FAST activity for youth will fittingly be all about movement, and a little music! Sign up for our April 24 FAST!

    Who: Blind students of all ages and their families Where: Colorado Center for the Blind,
    2233 W Shepperd Ave. Littleton, CO 80120 When: Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

    It’s the return of the FAST! On Saturday, April 24 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, we will hold our first in-person FAST (Fun Activities & Skills Training) Program for 2021.

    And what better way to kick it off then with a fun activity that involves music and movement.… Read the rest “Our First FAST In-person for 2021!”

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  • From the Director: Determination, Challenge, Creativity and Resolve #ColoradoGives

    by

    Dan Burke

    Colorado Gives Day Logo 12.8.20

    Colorado Gives Day Logo 12.8.20

    Dear CCB Friends and Family –

    All of us at the Colorado Center for the Blind hope that each of you had a nice Thanksgiving. The year of 2020 has brought a great deal of determination, challenge, creativity and resolve to us at CCB. The determination came from the staff who are dedicated and committed to work with our students of all ages. The challenge has been to make sure that we could continue to provide training to all of our students and our seniors in a safe manner. The creativity has been instrumental to develop innovative ways for our students and seniors to learn and to gain confidence.… Read the rest “From the Director: Determination, Challenge, Creativity and Resolve #ColoradoGives”

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  • CCB 2020: Resilience in a Year of Challenge @nfbco #nfbco20

    by

    Dan Burke

    We put this video together to serve as our report to the NFB of Colorado’s 2020 Virtual Convention October 29-31. We wanted to show the creativity of our staff and determination of our blind students of all ages to obtain the blindness skills that mean independence, which are necessary despite this pandemic. In fact, the importance of independence and blindness skills is even more critical than ever. Since filming and first showing this video, we have again moved our Independence Training Program (ITP) to be virtual until after the first of the year, while also discontinuing in-person (and socially-distanced) training sessions with our blind seniors.… Read the rest “CCB 2020: Resilience in a Year of Challenge @nfbco #nfbco20”

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  • CCB’s 2020 Virtual Summer Sessions for Youth – Join Us!

    by

    Dan Burke

    CCB Summer Tech Instructor engaged with his laptop and Smart Phone

    CCB Summer Tech Instructor engaged with his laptop and Smart Phone(Editor’s Note: We don’t blame you for wondering what is up with our summer programs for youth. The coronavirus and the subsequent shutdown orders put us into a scramble, affecting not only our youth programs, but seniors and the Independence Training Program, too. Here’s an announcement from our Youth Services Director Martin Becerra-Miranda that should clear things up.)

    by Martin Becerra-Miranda
    Each spring, as plans for our Summer Youth programming come together, Executive Director Julie Deden eventually exclaims, “This is going to be the best summer program ever!” Her positivity, encouragement, and support have not wavered one bit through the COVID-19 pandemic.… Read the rest “CCB’s 2020 Virtual Summer Sessions for Youth – Join Us!”

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  • FAST on Pre-ETS: No, it’s not a “syndrome,” it’s Pre-Employment Transition Services! Join us Friday!

    by

    Dan Burke

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    Who?
    Blind students of all ages and their families
    What?
    CCB’s bi-weekly FAST Zoom call
    When
    Friday, June 5, 2020 at 7:00 pm MDT
    Where?
    We will hold this meeting on the Zoom Meeting platform

    Join the Colorado Center for the Blind this upcoming Friday, June 5, 2020 at 7:00 pm MDT for our bi-weekly FAST (Fun Activities and Skills Training) Zoom meeting. Our last meeting was a Game Night; we played a few rounds of “Trivia” and a couple of other rounds of “Heads Up”. Unsurprisingly, everyone who participated did a great job! We weren’t keeping score but the competitive juices were flowing for sure.… Read the rest “FAST on Pre-ETS: No, it’s not a “syndrome,” it’s Pre-Employment Transition Services! Join us Friday!”

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  • FAST and Zoom, Zoom and FAST: Our FAST Program for Blind Youth goes virtual This Friday!

    by

    Dan Burke

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    FAST - (Fun Activities & Skills Training) logo

    Editor’s Note: Here’s some news from Youth Director Martin Becerra-Miranda. He’s been busy hosting lots of Zoom meetings for our staff and ITP students for the past month. But he’s also had time to think about what he wants to do with our FAST (Fun Skills Activities and Training) for youth, and maybe, just maybe, he misses the real energy of working with kids. So we’re going virtual with FAST starting this Friday!

    Who?

    Blind students of all ages and their family members

    Where?

    This will be a virtual meeting on the Zoom platform

    When?

    Friday, April 24, 2020 at 7:00 PM

    Observing “Social Distancing” guidelines doesn’t have to mean being socially disconnected.… Read the rest “FAST and Zoom, Zoom and FAST: Our FAST Program for Blind Youth goes virtual This Friday!”

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