[nfb-talk] Youth Empowerment

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Hope and listers,

    Remember too that this year's Youth Slam will only involve 200 blind
youth. Allowing others to hear selected program items should be possible. An
idea I thought of that fits right in with this discussion would be to
conduct an activity in which students are taught how to create simple Web
pages by hand, and perhaps by using a program such as Dreamweaver. Each
student attending the Youth Slam would be required to do a simple Web page
on which they discuss their experience and their feelings about the program.
Mentors and instructors would work with the kids to help them create these
pages, and to create and insert pictures, audio, and video media. These
pages would then be posted on the NCBYS Web Site for other blind youth to
explore, and to read the accounts of those who attended Youth Slam 2007 to
encourage them to become involved in events such as this, and to further
acquaint them with the NFB.Some of these kids have other friends that are
blind and will most likely want to tell them about  all the fun they had and
how this activity had a positive effect on their life and how they came to
understand that STEM Careers are doable by the blind. There's nothing like
blind youth reaching out and talking to other blind youth in person, or via
the Internet.

    Following up with Mike Freemans comments if state-run Youth Slams may
not be readily doable how about regional events sponsored by several state
affiliates? This would involve a larger number of people and affiliates
could pool resources to pull such events off, and enlist help from folks
around the country.

    Phenomena of the times we live in are that both cocooning, and the
World-Wide Web are here to stay.What we need to figure out is how best to
use vehicles like the World-Wide Web and our other resources to connect
blind youth with each other and to urge them  to participate in events such
as our local chapter meetings, and national events.

Peter Donahue