Calendar

Sensing the Seasons: Outdoor Education Retreats at EHC

Starting this November, the LightHouse Youth Program will be heading up to beautiful Enchanted Hills Camp for our new quarterly weekend nature themed retreats. "Sensing the Seasons" weekends will be filled with lots of learning opportunities for you and your blind and low vision friends to observe the changing of the seasons and how it impacts the natural habitats of EHC. In addition to seeing friends, participants will gain a great appreciation of the area by learning about the flora and fauna, the natural history of the majestic Mayacamas Mountain Range and the native people of Napa.

The program curriculum has been packed full with hands on and thought provoking activities and opportunities for blind and low vision students to learn and develop many skills from the Expanded Core Curriculum from WOLF School Naturalist Academy and experienced LightHouse for the Blind and Low Vision mentors. The Expanded Core Curriculum concepts that are addressed during these ongoing retreats include: independent living skills, orientation and mobility, sensory efficiency, self-determination, social interaction skills and recreation and leisure.

For more information about the WOLF School please visit their website.

Who: Youth between the ages of 12 and 20 that are Low Vision or Blind
What: Outdoor Education Retreats at EHC
When: 1st Weekend: November 1st to 3rd, 2nd Weekend: January 31st to February 2nd and 3rd Weekend: April 17th to 19th
Where: Enchanted Hills Camp @ 3410 Mount Veeder Rd. Napa CA
Transportation: Shuttle will depart from LightHouse East Bay at the Ed Roberts Campus at 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon and will return to the same location on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. for each of the weekends.
Program fee: The fee for the weekend program is $25 per person to help offset transportation expenses. Low program costs have been made possible thanks to a generous grant from North Face. Please let us know if you need any assistance with the program fee.
RSVP: In order to help staff from LightHouse, EHC and WOLF School make adequate preparations for the weekend retreats we ask that students RSVP before Monday, October 28.

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for the Sensing the Seasons program please contact Jamey Gump at (415) 694-7372 or youth@lighthouse-sf.org.

Youth Employment Series (YES)
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
February 28 5:00 PM-March 1 3:00 PM, 2020

Leading with the 4Cs: The Super-Powers of Today for Modern Education and Work
(Part 1 of 2)

A new decade, new possibilities! In February, join the LightHouse Youth Employment Series for our first workshop of the year, empowering blind/low vision youth with the confidence and today’s skills to thrive in a world where change is constant and learning never stops. Transition-age youth will have the opportunity to experience an interactive weekend and discover contemporary power and access skills, 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication). You will have the chance to develop and create your individualized leadership style and execute it with confidence. 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 February is the first of a 2-part series where you can prepare yourself for success in school, work, and life via interactive activities to learn the power skills of the 21st-century; NOTE that part 2 of this series is schedule for March 27-29 and it is highly encouraged for you to attend both parts to maximize your experience. 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.

DOR & TVI Workshop Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will increase their understanding of leadership, learn from successful confident blind/low vision role models, and experiment with their new found knowledge as they explore and create their personalized leadership style for school and work.
2. Transition age youth will acquire information on the 4Cs (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication), valuable skills identified by Google, Forbes, and LinkedIn, as they explore these concepts through hands-on activities.
3. Students will build their confidence in orientation and mobility, living skills, and application of the 4 power and access skills as they collaborate with their peers to plan, prepare for, execute, and reflect on a group project.
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. A set of business-casual attire and comfortable shoes is encouraged to maximize participation in the many interactive sessions.
3. 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 or anyone you know is interested in participating in this fun weekend adventure, 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.

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 and workshop attendance must be confirmed one week prior.