Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCI-VIS)

by Dan Oates, West Virginia School for the Blind

"It was a worthwhile educational experience. I learned more in that one week than I thought I could handle. At first I thought I would forget most of it, but the way it was taught, it has been easy to remember. Now I am studying space in science class, and what I learned is keeping me one step ahead of my classmates. For all of my life I was the only kid I knew who had 'bad' eyes. At Space Camp I was able to compare stories, joke, talk and 'see' how others adapted to their unique disabilities. In one week I became better friends with the kids in my group than in most of my life with other kids my age." Space Academy Camper, Indiana

"I think that I definitely found that not everything cool is closed to people with visual impairments. The thing I like best was being able to spend the week and work with other kids who also have visual impairments, as well as learning all about the space program at the same time. This was definitely one of the best times of my life, unquestionably." Academy Camper, British Columbia, Canada

"Was it worthwhile? Invaluable! Educational! Extraordinary! Phenomenal! My son comments almost every day that he wishes he were still at Space Camp. We thank you for a wonderful experience. Parent of a Space Academy Student, Massachusetts

"The opportunity for my students to travel so far, and come together with so many others with VI with a common purpose was a rare experience for students who are integrated into their local schools and therefore generally isolated from their VI peers. Two of my students have never mixed with other kids with VI before, and both commented, unprompted, that this was one of the things they most enjoyed about their week at Space Camp - to be with other kids with the same problems, and to all work together and help each other." Chaperone of a Space Academy Camper, Victoria, Australia

"I finally found someone with the same disease and I could really relate to him. It made a difference in my life." Aviation Challenge, MACH II Camper, Iowa

"I was never accepted anywhere like I was at space camp. Thanks for the best time of my life!" Space Academy Camper, New York

The above comments are from teachers, parents, and students that attended SCI-VIS '99 at Space Camp located at the U. S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Students attending SCI-VIS are affected both academically and personally. They are challenged at new levels to achieve, work together with their peers, and learn things about themselves and that they never knew. This sounds like a lot of hype and promises that one week would have a hard time producing. But year after year students come to SCI-VIS and leave with more self-esteem, life-long friends, and more options for their future.

Last year 192 blind and visually impaired students from 32 U.S. states, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Israel joined together for the best space science and aviation experience on earth. This year SCI-VIS 2000 will be held at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, September 23-28, 2000. 2000 will be the first year for the Aviation Challenge, MACH III program. This program is specifically designed for selected students from grades 10-12 who have previously attended the MACH II program. Students will be individually contacted concerning this program.

If you are interested in attending SCI-VIS 2000, visit our web site at www.tsbvi.edu/space/ and check us out. Spaces for programs can be reserved by calling or e-mailing Dan Oates. Please give name, state, and program in which you are interested. Forms with additional information concerning the SCI-VIS experience are available for downloading. Parents and teachers from all over the world make the decision every year to send their children to SCI-VIS. The comments above tell you their thoughts upon the return of their children. This year more students will be attending SCI-VIS. Will yours?

A Space Camp for blind and visually impaired adults will be held the weekend of September 29, through October 1, 2000. To register or for more information, adults please call 1-800-63-SPACE or contact:

Dan Oates
Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCI-VIS)
West Virginia School for the Blind
(304) 822-4883 (Telephone-Work)
(304) 822-4410 (Telephone-Home)

Volume 6, No. 2, April 2000 Contents

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