Summer Programs for Students 2004
Teen Technology and Recreation 2004
For seven days this summer, Bowen Island Lodge was transformed into an Olympic Village as twenty-three blind and low vision teenagers, 13 to 18, participated in this year's Teen Technology / Recreation Summer Program. From the lighting of the torch to the final night’s talent gala, program activities were integrated into the Summer Olympics/Paralympics theme. Participants used Windows computers with assistive technologies such as JAWS and Zoomtext to develop their technology skills, keep daily web logs (blogs) of their experiences, and "compete" in daily exploration activities on the internet.
Highlights of recreation component included an introduction to Goal Ball, the Paralympic sport designed for athletes with visual impairments, talent night, Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Greek Billionaire Tycoon, and sailing on the waterfront. SET-BC partnered with CNIB, BC Vision Teachers, and Aroga Technologies to bring state of the art technology instruction to the visually impaired students.
Braille Quest 2004
Nine secondary students participated in a variety of career exploration, technology, and personal growth activities at Braille Quest 2004. During the seven day program, the students visited Westport Innovations, IBM, Creo Publishing, VanCity Savings, Royal Bank of Canada and Bayleaf Software. They received direct instruction on how to use Kurzweil 1000 scanning software and the Book Port portable reading device. Experienced facilitators led panel discussions about post secondary challenges. Presentations on new trends in Orientation and Mobility, included a GPS (Global Positioning System) demonstration and information about dog guide schools. Peer networking opportunities were encouraged through lab activities and group projects. Student evaluations indicated that Braille Quest was extremely successful, with many students hoping to return next year.
Braille Literacy 2004
Thirteen BC students, ranging in age from eight to twelve, participated in the 2004 summer Braille literacy camp at the CNIB Bowen Island Lodge. The "Snooping on Bowen" theme allowed campers to be "investigators" and learn about work sites and employment options on Bowen Island. Children with limited or no sight have few opportunities to explore and discover what people do in their jobs. Fifteen work sites, including a piano tuner, a veterinarian and a massage therapist, welcomed campers. The children used a variety of adaptive Braille technologies for their reading and writing activities. They prepared interview questions, wrote job reports, stories and amusing lyrics and riddles for the camp newspaper. The camp continues to be a successful collaborative activity coordinated by PRCVI and CNIB with the support of SET-BC, BC Blind Sports and BC Vision Teachers.
Virtual Voices 2004
In partnership with the Easter Seal Camping Program, SET-BC hosted Virtual Voices 2004, a five day program of communication, art and recreational activities for students with augmentative communication needs. The program was supported through a grant from the John Hardie Mitchell Family Foundation. Virtual Voices is a unique program designed for children who have difficulty speaking due to conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism. A communication and technology curriculum is woven into the daily activities at camp to encourage the children to use their voice output communication aids in real life situations. The focus of this summer's program was to learn strategies to communicate through art and technology. Writing, drawing, and photography activities were adapted for children with physical and sensory challenges. The students took photos by pressing a switch, drew on a computer controlled by head movements and wrote with the support of specialized software.