Blind Students from Across the Nation Come to Baltimore for Hands-on Engineering Program
National Federation of the Blind Conducts First NFB EQ Program under New NSF Grant.
Baltimore, Maryland (July 24, 2018): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) will welcome thirty blind high school students to its Baltimore headquarters next week for a summer engineering program called NFB EQ (“Engineering Quotient”). NFB EQ will be a jam-packed week of fun and learning. Students will spend each day in activities designed to strengthen their knowledge of engineering and problem-solving skills. In the evenings, they will explore the Baltimore community and participate in a range of interactive recreational activities that supplement and enhance their learning in the classroom.
This is the first of five new NFB EQ programs supported by a multi-year grant from the National Science Foundation. In addition to making blind youth aware of techniques to help them succeed in engineering and other STEM disciplines, the programs will contribute to important research on the development of spatial reasoning, the ability to mentally manipulate and comprehend 2D and 3D objects, in blind children and youth. Students will learn the basics of tactile sketching and technical drafting, create multi-view drawings and diagrams that represent forces and vectors, and develop their capacity to interpret 3D objects tactilely and represent them in drawings. They will also learn about architectural design and will explore the process from their own original sketches through to the building of their unique structures by the end of the week.
“For well over a decade now, the National Federation of the Blind has encouraged blind students to participate in STEM subjects and developed techniques for helping them to do so,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We are pleased to once again have the opportunity to welcome blind high school students to Baltimore for a week of empowerment, learning, and fun, while at the same time enhancing the understanding of tools and techniques that will help these students in STEM studies and beyond.”
For more information on NFB EQ, including testimonials from participants in past programs, please visit https://blindscience.org/nfbeq. Members of the media interested in reporting on the program during the week should contact Chris Danielsen at 410-262-1281 or cdanielsen@nfb.org to schedule a visit.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1712887. 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.
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About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), headquartered in Baltimore, is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans. Founded in 1940, the NFB consists of affiliates, chapters, and divisions in the fifty states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico. The NFB defends the rights of blind people of all ages, and provides information and support to families with blind children, older Americans who are losing vision, and more. We believe in the hopes and dreams of blind people and work together to transform them into reality. Learn more about our many programs and initiatives at nfb.org.
The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan is presenting our annual Sense-sational Adventures in Summer Science.
Our program this year will deal with all aspects of sound, from nature to human produced sounds. We have a small number of openings. Please let anyone who may qualify and be interested know about this great opportunity.
The NFB of Michigan has been presenting STEM camps each summer since 2010.
We look forward to meeting new future scientists. We believe that the first blind astronaut has been born. We also believe that blind scientists can live the lives we choose.
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation Tactile Tour is designed for guests who are blind or visually impaired.
Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation areas for tactile features:
- · Rosa Parks Bus
- · Dymaxion House
- · Allegheny Locomotive
- · Build a Model T
- · Henry’s Assembly Line
- · Combine Cab
- · Overland Car
- · “Heroes of the Sky”
Greenfield Village tactile and/or multisensory offerings:
- · Firestone Farm
- · Pottery Shop
- · Weaving Shop
- · Printing Office
- · Tin Shop
- · Glass Shop
- · Armington & Sims Machine Shop
- · Hanks Silk Mill
- · Cohen Millinery
- · J.R. Jones General Store
- · Menlo Park Laboratory
- · Daggett Farmhouse