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Youth Employment Series (YES) Getting There Is Half the Journey: Navigating toward Doors of Opportunity In October, join the LightHouse Youth Employment Series, YES, workshop focusing on the experience of blind and low vision travelers as they share tools and skills to navigating their neighborhoods, employment opportunities, and even around the world. Youth will have the opportunity to refine their orientation and mobility skills, learn about various travel tools and methodologies from canes, GPS apps, to guide dogs, as well as connect with blind and low vision peers and mentors as they learn the importance of effective workplace readiness and independent living skills for access to work and academic opportunities. YES workshops are monthly weekend-long learning experiences emphasizing the vocational enrichment of low vision and blind youth, increasing and providing access to a multifaceted array of mentorship, employment readiness skills, and alternative accessible techniques. The YES Workshop in October will provide students with the tools to navigate and locate doors of opportunity: obtain further understanding of mobility tools, learn about studying and traveling abroad with blindness/lowvission, as well as practice imperative orientation and mobility as youth learn to plan and execute routes using public transportation. The weekend is spent learning from blind and low vision mentors and engaging in creative hands-on activities which further support youth to explore and achieve their individualized and professional aspirations.

Workshop Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will learn about different orientation and mobility options (white cane, guide dogs, GPS apps, etc.) and how these mobility tools and methodologies, when used appropriately, can enhance and maximize independence.
2. Transitional age youth will elevate their attitude and awareness in a variety of opportunities from accessing internships and employment using local public transportation to memorable study abroad experiences for personal and professional growth.
3. Students will participate in interactive activities as they plan, prepare for, and execute a route using public transportation.
4. The over-night nature of the YES workshop provide opportunities for students to refine their workplace readiness soft skills including effective social and professional communication and independent living all while building community with their blind and low vision peers.

Things to Bring:
1. A notetaking device or implement (braille note, pen, slate and stylus, phone with keyboard, laptop, etc.). You will be asked to complete activities electronically.
2. Necessities you may need such as any orientation and mobility tools to travel safely, money for transportation to and from the workshop, or personal medication.

If you are interested in participating in the October YES Weekend Workshop, please: 1. Contact your Department of Rehabilitation counselor to discuss workshop attendance and authorization. 2. Confirm attendance with Ann Wai-Yee Kwong, Transition Program Specialist, by email at youth@lighthouse-sf.org or by phone at 415-694-7328. The deadline to RSVP is Monday 10/08/18.  If you have any questions or would like to pay for your participation in the workshop, please contact youth@lighthouse-sf.org. Each workshop costs $950 to attend for the entire weekend. Please note, space for this program is limited to 20 students and workshop attendance must be confirmed one week prior.