[Nfb-science] Jernigan Institute News, July 19, 2006

Sun Jul 23 23:47:59 CDT 2006

David:

Thanks for this update.  As I posted a week and a half ago, I served as a
facilitator at the Jernigan Institute's Rocket On! camp.  I'm now back, and
I'm pleased to report that the camp and the rocket mission was fully
successful.

This year the 12 students successfully launched the NASA rocket just 22
seconds into the launch window--at 6:00:22 A.M. on July 19.  This year the
parachute and recovery system worked completely, and the rocket was fully
recovered.  It has been returned to the Jernigan Institute, and the students
presented the rocket to President Maurer and the Institute at their press
conference on July 21.

I had the job--as I did two years ago--of instructing the team of four
students that tested four of the sensors in the NASA payload in the rocket.
I worked with them on calibrating the circuits using talking multimeters and
analyzing the data we received using Microsoft Excel and Math Trax, an
accessible graphing and computational program developed by a blind
mathematician at NASA.  Each of the 12 students worked very hard and very
professionally, and I believe that this group of students has been our most
enthusiastic of the groups we've had.  Each of these students are leaders,
and I hope to welcome them and those that paved their way over the past two
years who aren't already on this list to it in the next few days.

I must acknowledge and thank several of you on this list for giving me the
networking and mentoring to myself continue my studies in engineering and my
pursuit of a career in the profession.  Without members such as John Miller,
Jim Willows, Brian Burrow, the Manekis, and others I wouldn't be quite where
I am today and in a position to give back.  It was a joy to pass it all on.
And as you've read, each of us has an opportunity to give in the same
way--and to the largest group of blind high school students ever--next
summer.

Warm regards,
Nathanael Wales, Secretary
Science and Engineering Division

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
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Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 8:50 AM
Subject: [Nfb-science] Jernigan Institute News, July 19, 2006

> July in Dallas, Texas, is usually hot, but in 2006 it was even hotter as
the largest group of blind people assembled together this year attended the
66th annual National Federation of the Blind National Convention. The
convention is held annually during the first week of July, and this year's
opening ceremonies appropriately commenced on Independence Day, when NFB
President Marc Maurer announced the theme of the convention, proclaiming,
"The Revolution Is Here!" to over 2800 members and friends of the
Federation. Revolutionizing independence was the release of the
Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader.  This portable, handheld
reading machine brings a new independence to blind and low vision folks
across the country and around the world.  Combining a state-of-the-art
digital camera with a powerful personal data assistant, the "camera that
talks" puts the best available character recognition software together with
text-to-speech conversion technology--all in a sing!
> le, handheld device.  Users hold the Reader over print--a restaurant menu,
an airline ticket, a business card, a school assignment, an office memo--and
in seconds they hear the contents of the printed document played back in
clear synthetic speech.  The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind
Reader has the ability to dramatically enhance the lives of millions of
people who have difficulty seeing or reading print by providing access like
never before.  To see the national media coverage the Reader generated visit
the following links:
>
http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/v.htm?g=95c071d3-cf1a-4193-afdd-d5a7991eff61&f=y
ouridhere&fg=copy
>
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/06-26
-2006/0004386982&EDATE.
> Another exciting announcement was the NFB Youth Slam, which will be held
July 30-August 4, 2007, at the Institute.  Expected to be the largest
gathering of blind youth ever, two hundred blind or low vision youth will
participate in four days of activities that expose them to the science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in a way that powerfully
demonstrates that these challenging careers are open to them.  In
conjunction with partners such as the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of
Engineering, and other institutions and corporations working in STEM, the
Slam will create a greater understanding among parents, teachers, and the
general public that blind people can learn and excel in these fields.  The
Slam will culminate with an inspiring rally at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and
a celebration at the Institute.  For more information about the 2007 NFB
Youth Slam visit http://www.blindscience.org/ncbys!
> /Youth_Slam.asp?SnID=1723555634.
> Following convention and back at home, our work continues as the third
annual Jernigan Institute Science Academy gets underway.  On July 14, 2006,
Rocket On!, the first of two Science Academy sessions for school age youth,
had its kick off.  Twelve high school students have become the third NFB
team to successfully launch a 101/2-foot sounding rocket from NASA's Wallops
Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.  We expect this Rocket On!  camp
to be successful at fulfilling dreams while shattering the myth that
challenging and technical sciences are dangerous for blind youth.  To learn
more about this program go to
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=20335.  For more information
about the NFB Science Academy visit
http://nfb.org/nfbji/science_academy.htm.
> Every day as we enter into the work that we do at the Jernigan Institute,
we are grateful for the strength of our movement, the support of our
friends, and the inspiration, innovation, and influence that the National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute represents.  As you can see, the
Jernigan Institute is not simply advocating for skills and resources, we are
actively changing what it means to be blind!
>
> Make sure to frequently check out Voice of the Nation's Blind and the
Braille Monitor for more information on this and other important topics.
>
> Betsy A. Zaborowski, Psy.D.
> Executive Director
> Jernigan Institute
> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
> Stay tuned for periodic news from the Institute. These short updates are
being distributed on NFB listservs and to others interested in what is going
on at the Jernigan Institute. Help us spread the word about the Institute by
sharing this and other information at chapter meetings and at other
gatherings of the blind.
> Visit our Web site: http://www.nfb.org/
>
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>