The Power of Collaboration: Strengthening Student Success Through Community Engagement
Authors: Lannette Burlingame, Program Administrator for Children's Programs, Independent Living, and Orientation and Mobility for The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, TSVI
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Most Americans are very familiar with the often-used African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Books have been written on the topic, and parents and educators alike sometimes use it when expressing the need for teamwork in raising a child. While this expression may sometimes be tongue-in-cheek, the importance of community in raising a child really resonates with many.
Most can agree that children need the care and interaction of many people to grow safely and healthily, but how do we foster such interactions as educators while balancing all the requirements that occur within school walls? Is all the time and effort really worth the results? Let’s take a look at how connecting schools and communities can be a “win-win” for students and communities alike!
Iron Chef, Job Shadowing, Camp Lighthouse, and the ECC
Iron Chef
A collaboration between Region 7 Education Service Center (ESC7), The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind (ETLB), and Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) resulted in an excellent opportunity for community partnership in the East Texas area. The university partnership included the SFASU School of Human Sciences Culinary Department as well as the SFASU Braille and Cane Club. These organizations collaborated with ESC7 and the ETLB to host “Iron Chef: A Culinary Experience for Students with Visual Impairments” on February 7, 2025. This partnership was born out of a desire to give students with visual impairments an opportunity to learn basic kitchen/cooking skills.
Alexandra Driver, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) for Lufkin ISD, explains it in this way:
Students with visual impairments need more support than their peers when it comes to learning independent living skills like cooking. While their classmates may take everyday tasks for granted, these students need specific guidance, tools, and techniques to navigate their world safely and confidently. Direct instruction helps them build the independence they deserve, giving them the skills to live on their own terms and truly thrive.
Their need for “direct instruction” is the essence of the Expanded Core Curriculum, or ECC. Senate Bill 39, passed during Texas’s 83rd Legislative Session in 2013, made evaluation in all nine areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) a requirement for students identified with visual impairments. Direct instruction in the ECC is required, as priority areas are determined by each student’s IEP team/ARD committee.
The nine areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum are:
- Compensatory Skills
- Independent Living Skills
- Social Interaction Skills
- Assistive Technology
- Sensory Efficiency
- Orientation and Mobility (O&M)
- Recreation and Leisure
- Self-Determination
- Career Education
According to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired,
The term expanded core curriculum (ECC) is used to define concepts and skills that often require specialized instruction with students who are blind or visually impaired in order to compensate for decreased opportunities to learn incidentally by observing others. In addition to the general education core curriculum that all students are taught, students with visual impairments, starting at birth, also need instruction in the ECC. The ECC areas include (A) needs that result from the visual impairment that enable the student to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (B) other educational needs that result from the child’s disability, as required by IDEA (34 CFR 300.320 (a)(2)(A)(B)). Texas Education Code (TEC) 30.002(c)(5) and (e)(5) require the flexibility of school districts to make arrangements for services to occur ‘beyond regular school hours to ensure the student learns the skills and receives the instruction’ in the ECC (What Is The Expanded Core Curriculum).
Opportunities to collaborate with organizations such as the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind and Stephen F. Austin State University to provide ECC experiences, such as Iron Chef, are valuable for many reasons. Not only do our students get opportunities to practice necessary skills (such as cooking skills), but they also help build confidence for the future.
Kimorie Turner, a junior at Marshall High School, reflected on her experience at the Iron Chef cooking event in the following way:
I really liked going to SFA because of how everyone worked together in the kitchen. I liked how involved and helpful the professors were. I also liked getting to see how the students worked on the food truck at lunch. I want to have my own business someday, and I now know I want to attend SFA to study culinary arts.
Hallsville High School student, Callie Perry, said, “Iron Chef was amazing! It was so much fun and the stir fry was awesome!”
Sarah Land, Hallsville ISD TSVI, said,
Iron Chef at SFA was an unforgettable event for our students who are blind and visually impaired. They were able to have hands-on experiences with cooking that many of our students don’t get very often. The fact that they were alongside their peers made it more fun and pushed them to try things they may not have tried otherwise. I wish we could re-create this event every week for our kids. It was not only motivating for our students, but for me as a teacher as well.
Beverly Jackson, SFASU Orientation and Mobility Clinical Instructor, in conjunction with the SFASU Braille and Cane Club, has been instrumental in collaboration for events such as Iron Chef, Goalball, Beeping Egg Hunts, Holiday Shopping, SFA University Visits, and more! Beverly explained this partnership in the following way:
The SFASU Visual Impairment Prep and Orientation and Mobility program emphasizes collaboration with external agencies to offer hands-on learning experiences. Students training to become visual impairment professionals gain practical experience through activities that support the Expanded Core Curriculum. These partnerships provide opportunities for students to apply lecture strategies in real-world settings and enable students with blindness and low vision to interact with peers in diverse environments.
First-year SFASU Orientation and Mobility student, Madison Denson, volunteered her time to help at one of the beeping egg hunts in Region 7. She explained her experience in this way:
Volunteering to help at a student event has solidified my desire to continue in the O&M prep program. It has shown me a real glimpse into the future beyond all the bookwork and assignments. I can now better understand what I will actually be doing with my future students. Personally, it has shown me ways that activities can be modified for all students. Before I helped at the beeping egg hunt, I had never thought about how an egg hunt isn’t accessible to everyone. I now think about planning activities in a different way because I consider all of the ways we need to improve access to our students. Another added benefit is the professional connections I get to make in our field. I had the opportunity to meet people and network, so I now have more people I can reach out to for advice and support.
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Secondary students from Region 7 prepare the materials needed to participate in a cooking lesson hosted by the Stephen F. Austin State University culinary department. -
Secondary students, teachers, and members of the Stephen F. Austin Braille and Cane Club pose near a sculpture on the campus of SFASU after a college visit. -
The Tyler Tigers beep baseball team provides instruction to a student at an event hosted by Region 7 ESC and the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind.
Job Shadowing at the ETLB
An additional community partnership activity occurred on March 5, 2025, through a collaboration with Region 7 Education Service Center, the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, and Horizon Industries. The ETLB and Horizon Industries opened their doors to high school students with visual impairments from across Region 7 to provide an opportunity to job shadow adults with visual impairments working in the following positions: Assistive Technology Instructor, Community Relations Administrator, IT Specialist, Production Specialist, and Distribution Specialist. Students were also given a presentation of the services offered by the ETLB and a tour of the client services facility.
Headquartered in Tyler, TX, the East Texas Lighthouse physically serves 40 local counties but is open to assisting clients from across the state and the nation. According to their website, the “East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, a proud federal contractor, and a Department of Defense supplier. We fulfill our mission of empowering the blind through two divisions of our company, which include a manufacturing operation (Horizon Industries) and our community rehabilitation facility (Client Services). Companywide, we are the largest employer of those who are blind in East Texas. Purchases from Horizon Industries fuel both jobs in that manufacturing setting and a portion of the funds needed to run the Client Services division.” (About East Texas Lighthouse, 2025).
Alicia Lansford, Vice President/Chief Mission Officer, East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind in Tyler, expressed ETLB’s philosophy of collaboration in the following way:
East Texas Lighthouse firmly believes in the power of collaboration through community partnerships. In successful partnerships, each agency focuses on its strengths and what it can bring to the table rather than competing for the spotlight. When all parties participate openly, sharing the desire to do what is best for the client (or student in this case), magic happens, and outcomes improve. We are proud to partner with our ESCs and make real differences in the lives and trajectories of our students.
Beth Morgan, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) for Marshall ISD, also believes in the magic that happens when her students benefit from community partnerships. Mrs. Morgan brought four high school students to the Job Shadowing event at ETLB. When reflecting on her students’ experiences, she replied,
It was great for the students to witness adults with visual impairments and blindness working and being able to produce things. Getting to have such a hands-on experience, whether in Assistive Technology, IT, or production, was important for my students because they got to see that there are opportunities for them in our area. They also got the opportunity to interact with others who walk in the same shoes. They got to see adults working independently as well as peers with visual impairments. It is so important for them to connect with others so they know they are not alone!
Tracy Johnston, former Transition Specialist for Region 7 Education Service Center and current Special Education Liaison for Region 6 ESC, also understands the power of community partnerships.
She emphasizes that:
Community partnerships can be a game-changer for students with disabilities, helping them achieve their postsecondary goals, whether that’s landing a job or living independently. These partnerships offer vital resources, financial and otherwise, along with guidance and collaboration that create a safety net. This support empowers students and their families to step boldly into the unknown, knowing they’re not alone on the journey.
To start building that network, students are encouraged to explore the Texas Transition and Employment Guide to discover agencies and resources in their community that can help turn their goals into reality.
Camp Lighthouse
Participation in Camp Lighthouse is another noteworthy opportunity for students to benefit from a wide variety of community organizations. This year’s camp took place from 6/22-6/27/25 on the campus of the University of Texas at Tyler. The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind hosts Camp Lighthouse each year. Their website describes Camp Lighthouse in the following way:
We believe summers should be full of fun, friends, and fearlessness! In 2022, ETLB launched “Camp Lighthouse” to ensure high schoolers who are blind or have visual impairments have an opportunity to safely experience a week of independence, confidence-building, and connections with friends like them.
During this six-day camp each June, students stay overnight on the University of Texas at Tyler’s campus and participate in fun and educational activities around the Tyler area. Activities are designed to incorporate the Expanded Core Curriculum and focus on skill development in the areas of independent living, orientation and mobility, recreation and leisure, self-determination, and social interaction. Campers can expect to engage in many indoor and outdoor activities, including cooking, team building, ropes courses, climbing, horseback riding, goalball, and much, much more!” (Education Programs, 2025).
Vanna Dean, multi-year camp counselor and activities director, described her experiences at Camp Lighthouse. She stated,
It’s really easy to take the fact that (as a sighted person) I get to experience a lot of things for granted. The first year of camp, I realized that these kids just love life, regardless of what they can or can’t do. They try! For me, I keep coming back (to Camp Lighthouse) because seeing the kids participate (with joy) reminds me that it’s ok to be scared to do something and still do it anyway! I just love being around the kids and seeing them grow and develop. I love being able to help give them the confidence to go back into the world and share their experiences. I keep coming back as a counselor because these kids keep amazing me with what they can do!
2025’s Camp Lighthouse community partners included some of the following organizations:
- Region 7 Education Service Center (Kilgore, TX)
- The University of Texas at Tyler (Tyler, TX)
- Horizon Industries (Tyler, TX)
- TigerRock Martial Arts (Tyler, TX)
- Cross Brand Cowboy Church (Tyler, TX)
- Canton Grand Safari Adventure (Grand Saline, TX)
- New York, Texas ZipLine Adventures (LaRue, TX)
Charlee Abbott, 2025 Camp Lighthouse participant, expressed her camp experience in the following way:
I think a really big key takeaway for me is that we shouldn’t let anything stop us! Just because we might have a setback or something may take a little longer, it doesn’t mean we should stop. There is always something we can do. My favorite part of camp is the people. There is nothing like being around people like this. The visually impaired community is such a great community. It is such an uplifting community. Everybody understands. We can make jokes together. It’s not scary. Everybody just has a great time. They teach us all kinds of new and safer ways to do things. They remind us to walk with our canes. Personally, I am getting a guide dog soon, so it is really important for me to have that reminder.
Charlee’s mom, Melissa Kokenzie, expressed her gratitude for the community partnership she and her daughter have developed with the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind in this way:
I honestly don’t even know where to begin when it comes to the Lighthouse for the Blind. As a mom to a legally blind child, I felt overwhelmed and unsure of how to support her in a world that often doesn’t make room for low vision. The Lighthouse stepped in, not just as a resource, but as a lifeline. Over the past 10 years, they’ve walked with us through every stage of Charlee’s journey. They introduced her to low vision tools, orientation & mobility training, and camps that built not only her independence, but her confidence. They’ve been role models, mentors, and steady guides for her and for me. The people at the Lighthouse are next-level humans! They are super moms wrapped in a warm blanket of empathy, wisdom, and grit. They show up. They care. They truly make a difference. I can’t begin to express what the Lighthouse has meant to our family. They’ve been more than a support system; they’ve been family.
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Students and staff from Camp Lighthouse pose on a platform overlooking the New York, Texas Zipline Adventure in LaRue, TX, the highest elevation in East Texas. -
A student interacts with lemurs at Canton Grand Safari in Grand Saline during Camp Lighthouse. Students were also allowed to touch and/or feed a monkey, a kangaroo, and a sloth. -
Students from Camp Lighthouse pose with volunteers from Cross Brand Cowboy Church at a horseback riding event.
Community partnerships are powerful, as evidenced by the many personal accounts outlined above. I dare say that such partnerships unlock our students’ potential and “set the stage” for meaningful opportunities to prepare all students for both academic and real-world success!
If you are considering developing an ECC event, you are encouraged to reach out to organizations and partners in your community. Most people truly want to help and are willing to learn the skills necessary to present information and adapt activities for students with visual impairments. The time and effort invested will most assuredly be rewarded through student growth and community awareness alike!
It may be true that it actually does “take a village to raise a child,” but the benefits of “village collaboration” may very well be the realization of the hopes and dreams of us all!
John Bramblitt, a blind artist, discusses tactile art with a student at an “Experiencing Art Using the Senses” event at Stephen F. Austin State University.
A student practices using a monocular in Brookshire’s grocery store during the “Low Vision on the Road” event hosted by Region 7 ESC and the East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind.
Resources
East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind
Guidelines and Standards for Educating Students with Visual Impairments in Texas
Stephen F. Austin State University-Orientation and Mobility Certification Preparation
Texas School For The Blind and Visually Impaired
Texas SPED Support: Blind/Visually Impaired
Texas Transition and Employment Guide
References
About East Texas lighthouse. (2025, March 13). East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind. https://www.easttexaslighthouse.org/about/
Education East Texas lighthouse. (2025, July 8). East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind. https://www.easttexaslighthouse.org/education/
What Is The Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC)? (2025, March 13). Retrieved from Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired: https://www.tsbvi.edu/programs/ecc