[Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Conducts Engineering Program for Blind Students
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Tue Jun 21 21:21:35 UTC 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
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<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
National Federation of the Blind Conducts
Engineering Program for Blind Students
Baltimore, Maryland (June 21, 2016): The National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, under
the auspices of its National Center for Blind
Youth in Science, will conduct the first of two
summer engineering programs for blind high school
students here this week. The NFB EQ program,
supported by a grant from the National Science
Foundation, is designed to help blind students
find their "engineering quotient" by engaging
them in projects to help solve real-world
problems in realistic scenarios. Each team of
students will create proposals with accompanying
models, which the team will pitch to various
stakeholders. After constructing life-size
prototypes of their designs, the students will
test them in authentic settings. They will also
have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with
a number of engineers from across the country,
some of whom happen to be blind. In this week's
program, the students will design and construct
water filtration systems and boats capable of
carrying two people each, to provide potable
water and transportation to a fictional group of
campers trapped on an island after torrential
rain and mudslides. Among other techniques, the
students will use tools to create tactile drawings.
Throughout the program, students will work to
demonstrate mastery of the engineering design
processes, as well as engineering concepts such
as prototyping, design viability, and data
collection and analysis. This program will
provide teens with the opportunity to hone their
engineering skillsfrom technical knowledge, to
problem solving ability, to the understanding
that through engineering one can improve other
peoples quality of life. A second program will be conducted July 31August 6.
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, said: "Engineering and
other STEM fields are often falsely thought to be
closed to the blind, although there are many
blind people working in such fields. This
program, the latest in our series of
groundbreaking efforts to engage blind youth in
STEM, will allow twenty blind students from
across the nation to explore engineering and
build the skills and confidence they will need to
succeed in the career of their choice and live the lives they want."
For more information about the program, please
visit
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5516&qid=1306001>http://www.blindscience.org/NFBEQ.
This material is based upon work supported by the
National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1322855.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
###
About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind knows that
blindness is not the characteristic that defines
you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low
expectations create obstacles between blind
people and our dreams. You can live the life you
want; blindness is not what holds you back.
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States
(410) 659-9314
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