[Nfbnet-members-list] Louisiana Center Buddy and STEP Programs

Eric Guillory eguillory at louisianacenter.org
Sun Jan 25 06:05:44 UTC 2015




BUDDY PROGRAM 2015
Putting the Pieces Together

Come and join us for a summer of fun and learning!

Since 1989, the Louisiana Center for the Blind 
has offered an innovative summer program for 
blind children in grades four through eight. This 
summer, the Buddy Program promises to be full of 
learning opportunities, new friendships, and fun-filled activities.

Many blind children have misconceptions about 
their blindness due to the lack of positive blind 
role models and to the negative stereotypes about 
blindness in society. Unlike other summer 
programs for blind children, the Buddy Program is 
directed and staffed by competent blind adults. 
Classes in cane travel are taught to instill 
independence and self-confidence. The knowledge 
of Braille enables the blind child to compete on 
terms of equality with sighted peers in the 
classroom and provides a solid background in 
spelling and other grammatical skills. Computer 
literacy classes expose a blind child to 
available adaptive equipment. Classes in daily 
living skills promote equal participation in 
household duties such as cooking, shopping, and 
cleaning. In addition to learning valuable 
alternative techniques of blindness, children 
will enjoy participating in a wide variety of 
exciting activities such as swimming, camping, 
bowling, roller skating, and field trips.

Title: Ethan on cane travel



The combination of hard work and fun activities 
will provide a rewarding experience that children 
will cherish. Involvement in the Buddy Program 
helps blind children realize that it is not 
blindness that holds them back. Rather, it is the 
negative attitudes and misconceptions about 
blindness that may prevent blind children from 
reaching their potential. At the close of the 
program, parents are REQUIRED to attend a 
Parents’ Weekend. This weekend will allow them to 
interact with other parents of blind children and 
to learn what their children have discovered 
about their blindness and themselves. Friendship, 
training, fun, growth and interaction between 
blind children and positive blind role models is 
how the Louisiana Center for the Blind is “changing what it means to be blind.”

The Louisiana Center for the Blind will sponsor 
two sessions of the Buddy Program in 2015--from 
June 7-27 and July 19-August 8 respectively.

Perhaps we will have the opportunity to work with 
your child this summer. We know it will be a 
memorable experience for both you and them. All 
interested families should visit 
<http://www.louisianacenter.org>www.louisianacenter.org 
for more details and to apply. Please also feel 
free to contact our Director of Youth Services, 
Eric Guillory before April 13. Please email Eric 
at 
<mailto:eguillory at louisianacenter.org>eguillory at louisianacenter.org 
or call 800-234-4166.

Due to limited space, we cannot guarantee that 
every applicant will be granted enrollment. 
Please note that the fee for students not from 
Louisiana is $1,000­which is all-inclusive save 
for transportation to and from the program. The 
fee for Louisiana students is $500.


Aunya at graduation
Title: Aunya at graduation









Title: Greg climbing toward zipline


2015 SUMMER TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT PROJECT (STEP) Program
STRIVING FOR SUCCESS


Since 1985, the Louisiana Center for the Blind 
has been changing what it means to be blind for 
adults from across America. In 1990, a program 
was created to address the needs of blind high 
school students. The Summer Training and 
Employment Project (STEP) Program is designed to 
introduce blind teenagers to positive blind role 
models and to provide participants with summer work experience.

The eight-week summer program will consist of two 
components. During the first part of the program, 
competent blind counselors will instruct the 
students in the alternative techniques of 
blindness. Classes in Braille, cane travel, 
computer literacy, and daily living skills will 
be taught by qualified blind instructors. In 
addition, seminars will be conducted in the areas 
of job readiness, job interviewing skills, resume 
writing and job responsibilities. The second part 
of the program will continue all aspects of 
training and expand to include an employment 
dimension. Students will have the opportunity to 
work fifteen to twenty hours a week at a local 
business for which they will receive the Federal 
minimum wage. The staff will attempt to meet the 
job interests of the students. Instructors from 
the Louisiana Center for the Blind will be 
available to provide on-the-job assistance as needed.

Title: Katie grilling up burgers

Title: Animal groomers work experience


The combination of work experience and 
blindness-related skills--along with fun-filled 
activities such as cookouts, swimming, and 
various other outings--will foster 
self-confidence and independence in young blind 
teenagers. During the week of July 5th through 
July 10th, students will attend the national 
convention of the National Federation of the 
Blind in Orlando, Florida. This exciting 
conference will allow them to meet thousands of 
competent blind people from across the country. 
The students will also have the chance to 
participate in a wide variety of informative 
seminars. At the close of the program, parents 
will be REQUIRED to attend a Parents’ Weekend 
which will enable them to discover how much their 
children have learned throughout the summer. The 
STEP program is designed to provide invaluable 
work experience, friendships, opportunities for 
personal growth, and cherished memories.

Training will begin June 14 and conclude August 
8. Please visit 
<http://www.louisianacenter.org>www.louisianacenter.org 
to learn about more program specifics and to complete an application.

Due to limited space, we cannot guarantee that 
every applicant will be granted enrollment, and 
applicants must have an open case with their 
state’s vocational rehabilitation agency or other 
funding entity to cover program costs.





Questions? Please call our Director of Youth 
Services, Eric Guillory at 800-234-4166 or email 
him at 
<mailto:eguillory at louisianacenter.org>eguillory at louisianacenter.org. 
"Together, we are changing what it means to be 
blind." Check out STEP and find out how.

Title: graduation ceremony







Eric Guillory, Director of Youth Services
Louisiana Center for the Blind
101 South Trenton Street
Ruston, LA 71270
Voice: 800-234-4166
Fax: 318-251-0109
Twitter: ericguillory
Skype: brllovingdad
<http://www.louisianacenter.org>www.louisianacenter.org

“Together, we are changing what it means to be blind.”



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d37.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 47683 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d56.png
Type: image/png
Size: 166342 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d56.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 33314 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment-0001.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d66.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 16896 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment-0002.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d75.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 8372 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment-0003.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 72d75.png
Type: image/png
Size: 176746 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150125/a6fb4777/attachment-0001.png>


More information about the NFBNet-Members-List mailing list