Tag Archive

Youth

Family Fun Night with the LightHouse Youth Program on March 7

02/02/2015 LightHouse Staff

We cordially invite youth and their families to join us for our First Family Fun Night of 2015. Enjoy games, competitions and challenges for all ages and abilities. There will be a potluck dinner, so bring your favorite family dish to share with everyone!

Who: Low vision or blind Youth of any age and their families
What: Potluck and Family Game Night
When: Saturday March 7, from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Cost: FREE
What to bring: Potluck contribution and lots of energy
Waiver: Each Youth participant must fill out and submit a LightHouse Youth Program Application if they have not done so already.

For more information or to RSVP for this event please contact Jamey Gump, Youth Services Coordinator, at (415) 694-7372 or by email at jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

Resources in the Community

Department of Rehabilitation and You

01/30/2015 LightHouse Staff

The California Transition Council for Blind Youth is hosting a teleconference about DOR services and support available for students as they transition from high school into college, work and independence.

What: Informational Teleconference

When: March 17, 2015 and May 19, 2015

Time: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Join the Department of Rehabilitation’s Blind Services and community vendors on Tuesday afternoons, March 17, 2015 and May 19, 2015 for a one-hour teleconference to learn about how to help with rehab with DOR services, how DOR works and the process to apply. Additionally, there will be a variety of agency staff from throughout California who work with blind and low vision youth and young adults on the call identifying available resources such as summer work experiences, career awareness opportunities, independent living skills courses and much more.

This one hour call is specifically geared toward blind and low vision high school and college students, family members, teachers and advocates.

Call in information is:

866-655-4840

4252362

To reserve your spot, please, please contact Cathleen Coombs at ccoombss@dor.ca.gov .

Resources in the Community

Student Grant for Technology

01/30/2015 LightHouse Staff

The San Francisco chapter of the California Council of the Blind (CCB) is now taking applications for their $2,500 student education access grant.

Who: A legally blind student ages 8-18 who lives in the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, or Sonoma.

What: The San Francisco Chapter of CCB will give a grant in the form of technology products worth up to $2,500 to an applicant who meets the criteria listed above and can best demonstrate the need for accessible equipment to enhance their educational opportunities.

Submit completed application and essay to:

Charlie Dorris

tyreedorris@comcast.net

by March 31, 2015

To request an application and instruction form or for further details, contact:

Charlie Dorris: 415-775-0487 tyreedorris@comcast.net (or)

Ellie Lee: 415-378-6079 ellieleesf@yahoo.com

LightHouse News, Resources in the Community

Higher Education Funding for Blind/Low Vision Students

01/20/2015 LightHouse Staff

There is valuable funding out there for college (or college-bound) blind and low vision students.The trick is knowing about it. Take a minute to read up on these education funding options and share them with anyone who may be interested and qualified. Spread the word to our community so more students can take advantage of these worthwhile opportunities. After all, more funding equals more access to education.

Federal Student Aid, an office of the US Department of Education, publishes helpful audio highlights about applying for Federal Student Aid. These audio highlights also provide information on nonfederal sources of aid. Federal Student Aid publications are also available in Braille. Visit this site for more detailed information and a list of braille publications.

Learning Ally, a provider of digital audio textbooks for students who are blind, low vision, or learning disabled, recognizes 15 high school and college graduates each year through their National Achievement Awards program. Click here to learn more about the scholarship awards.

Do you know of other higher education resources, scholarships, or grants available to blind students? Please email them to lmattingly@old.lighthouse-sf.org so we can spread the word.

And don’t forget these two education opportunities for lower and high school students:

California Youth Leadership Forum

Donna Coffee Youth Scholarship

Resources in the Community

Apply for the DOR’s Youth Leadership Forum 2015

01/20/2015 LightHouse Staff 1 Comment

Are you a high school junior or senior with a disability? Apply to attend the DOR’s Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) in summer 2015.

Students posing at YLF — (c) California YLF

YLF is a fun, five day career and leadership training program for students with disabilities. Accepted students get to stay in a college dorm, meet other high school kids with disabilities, and learn from adults with disabilities who are leading exciting lives. Previous attendees swear it is a life-changing experience that leads to lasting friendships and more independence. The program features information, speakers, activities, and resources relating to employment, education, independence and adaptive technology.

YLF will be held July 27-31, 2015 in Sacramento. Students will stay on campus at California State University, Sacramento.

Applications are now available and are due February 27, 2015. Please help us spread the word about this exciting opportunity.

Image: 3 students posing at YLF.

Resources in the Community

Donna Coffee Youth Scholarship Support Student’s Interests and Passions

01/07/2015 LightHouse Staff

Part of the annual CTEBVI (California Transcribers and Educators for the Blind and Visually Impaired) conference, The Donna Coffee Youth Scholarship is now accepting applications.

This scholarship awards a total of $1,000 to one or more California-based blind/low vision students grades K-12. It isn’t just about earning money for tuition, books or college–the scholarship is about cultivating self-discovery and supporting unique interests and passions. Last year’s winner 10-year-old Heaven Vallejos used the money to train, run, and finish her first 5K race.

[image: Heaven Vallejos runs her first 5K with the help of friends]

Visit this site for more information and to download the application. Applications are due February 27, 2015.

Tips for applying: Be creative! Previous winners have used the funds for lessons for music, cooking, and sports, or to help investigate specific areas of their academic careers.

LightHouse News

LightHouse Youth Visit Hiller Aviation Museum

12/17/2014 LightHouse Staff

In late November, a group of LightHouse youth visited the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, California for a hands-on tour of flight and aviation.

The tour was led by two spectacular Hiller Aviation docents who shared their love of flight through fascinating personal stories and provided helpful, hands-on explanations of exhibits.

Visitors had the chance to touch the first plane to land on an aircraft carrier, practice flying a simulation helicopter, have an individual tour of a Cessna airplane and much more.

A big thank you to Hiller Aviation for having us!

LightHouse News

Enchanted Hills Camp Sessions for 2015

12/11/2014 LightHouse Staff 1 Comment

Here is the schedule for the Enchanted Hills Camp 2015 summer sessions.

Cycle for Sight Bike Ride for Enchanted Hills Camp: Saturday April 18
Sign up now at http://www.cycle4sight.com/. If you’d like to ride tandem, contact Tony Fletcher at afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org or 415-694-7319.

Chemistry Camp: May 1 to May 3
Family Camp I: June 11 to June 14
Blind Babies Family Camp: June 19 to June 21
Adult Session: June 27 to July 2
Special Needs: July 3 to July 8
Family Camp II: July 9 to July 12
Youth Session: July 13 to July 19 (TouchSTEM session is July 15 to 18)
Teen Session: July 20 to July 26
Family Camp III: July 29 to August 1
Music Academy: August 2 to August 8
Horse Camp: August 2 to August 8
Deaf-Blind Camp (Adult): August 9 to August 13 (5 days)

Online applications will be available starting noon on February 2, 2015 (not February 1st as previously stated)

For questions about Cycle for Sight or Camp session, contact Camp Director Tony Fletcher at 415-694-7319 or afletcher@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

We can’t wait to have you up to Mt. Veeder soon!

LightHouse News

White Elephant Gift Exchange on Saturday, December 20

11/26/2014 Andrea Ogarrio

Have you ever received a gift you didn’t want or had no use for? Here’s your opportunity to unload that cringe-worthy dust collector in a fun and humorous way. Join the LightHouse Youth Program as we celebrate the holidays at our Annual White Elephant party.

For those unfamiliar, a White Elephant party is a fun holiday gift giving party where participants bring humorous and inexpensive gifts to exchange. White elephant gifts are usually tacky, gaudy, inexpensive and of course, silly. The funnier and more absurd, the better. The best part of the game is “stealing” gifts from other participants. For more information about the rules of the game, see below.

Who: Blind and Low Vision Youth, ages 8 to 24
What: White Elephant Gift Exchange
When: Saturday December 20, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Waiver: Each participant must submit a LightHouse Youth Program waiver form, if they have not done so for a previous outing
Please RSVP by December 17.

Festive treats will be made by our cooking class scheduled before the White Elephant party. Potluck contributions will be greatly appreciated.

Each youth who wishes to participate in the gift exchange must bring one gift valued at no more than $10. Gifts should be tasteful and non-offensive, however, the more outrageous and/or funny the gift, the more fun we will have.

If you would like more information or to RSVP for this event, please contact Jamey Gump, LightHouse Youth Services Coordinator at (415) 694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

White Elephant Rules

1. Each participant must bring one wrapped gift that does not exceed $10 and place it with other gifts on a designated table.

2. Pass around a hat with numbered pieces of paper (one number for participant), and have each guest draw a number to determine order.

3. The person who draws “1” gets first pick from the pile, making sure to describe the gift to other participants.

4. Once opened, the person who draws number “2” starts the second round. They can either choose to “steal” the first person’s gift or open an unwrapped gift from the pile.

5. Once number “2” has gone the person who drew “3” repeats the same process of choosing to “steel” an opened or unwrap an unopened gift.

6. Gifts can be exchanged 3 times per round, and gifts cannot be stolen back from the person who stole from you.

7. Game continues in this fashion until all gifts have been opened.

LightHouse News

Feel the Ice Beneath Your Feet on Saturday, December 13

11/26/2014 Andrea Ogarrio

Join your friends in the LightHouse Youth Program as we enjoy our next social gathering at the Iceland, in Belmont. You are sure to have a great time whether you want to learn how to skate, practice a Triple Axel jump or just have hot chocolate with friends.

Who: Blind and Low Vision Youth, ages 14 to 24
What: Ice Skating at Iceland, located at 815 Old County Road, Belmont
When: Saturday December 13, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (skate time: 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Meeting Location: LightHouse San Francisco Headquarters
Waiver: Each participant must fill out all waiver and application forms before participation is confirmed
Cost: $15 per participant (includes public transportation costs and skate equipment and admission fees)

If you would like more information or to RSVP for this event, please contact Jamey Gump, LightHouse Youth Services Coordinator at (415) 694-7372 or jgump@old.lighthouse-sf.org.

Things to Bring

Signed and completed waiver
Any necessary mobility devices
Bag lunch
Water bottle
Dress in layers and bring a jacket for when on the ice