Independence Training Program

Here’s a shout out to this year’s crew from Rice University in Houston who came to work as volunteers on March 16 and 17. They spend an “Alternative Spring Break” volunteering, first at Winter Park with the NSCD adaptive ski program, and then in Littleton.

Zen and the Art of Archery was a popular book in the 1970s among a certain crowd in which martial arts practitioners became adept at hitting the bullseye while blindfolded. What does that mean? Who really knows, other than it was the era of the “Kung Fu” TV series.

Nonetheless, our partners at NSCD arranged an archery class for some of our students, and it took place in the gym last Tuesday.

Dare we say it? It really hit the mark!

Okay, Tuesdays can get a little wild anyway, what with Seniors coming and filling up our large conference room all morning. You gotta believe us – we love having them!

But meanwhile, down in the gym …

We had both Martial arts and Archery happening all at once. The wildest imaginations might have the martial arts students blocking and catching flying arrows, but that’s not at all the scenario. That’s just imagination …

The first day of Spring and temps in the 70s, and what would you do? Our Home Management planned wisely to make the most of the beautiful weather today, and all classes worked outside on the grills.

Now that’s a life skill!

Trevor definitely knows what day it is …It’s probably just a coincidence though that he’s baking 6 cheesecakes for his graduation March 30. It’s close enough for Pi Day though!

Well, the mini-meal is “mini” in comparison to the final Home Management assignment in our Independence Training Program …

And it’s an interim step toward that final goal of cooking for 60 people. See, the mini-meal is only for fifteen!

Here, Suzie, Parker, Ellen and Lyne put their meals in motion and on the table in early 2017. They’re learning how to “take charge with confidence and self-reliance”

As Trevor explains, he’s been “cubing” for years, figuring out better and faster ways to solve the Rubik’s Cube. Working out how to make the Cube tactile and using all that he’s already learned to solve it nonvisually is just a part of solving the blindness puzzle for Trevor – of taking charge and living the life he wants!

Oh yes, we’re big on Braille here at CCB, because it is fundamental to literacy for blind people and has high correlations with successful employment of blind adults. Our camera man Mike stopped by one of Jen’s classes recently and collected this video.

We were delighted to have a visit from 2016 alum Peter Slatin, who is also now on our Board of Directors. Peter was in Colorado for Ski for Light and spent a few days in Denver afterward. He dropped in on art class and took up the Sensational Blackboard to do some experimenting with paper textures. That was Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday he returned to the Center to conduct Philosophy Class.

The day didn’t go uncelebrated. The Seniors had a Valentine’s party (there are rumors of romance there). Even ITP got into the act with Valentine’s cookies to mark “National Singles Day”?