VIDBE-Q Volume 66, Issue 2
74
Zoom Ahead. These two back-to-back 5-week programs ran Monday through
Friday for 2 hours each day, providing diverse instruction to 11 students ages 14 to
22. 11 course facilitators provided pre-employment skills education, workplace
readiness training, recreation and leisure exploration, and panel discussions with
working professionals and college students with visual impairment. This virtual
offering enabled us to enroll new participants from in and out of state who
otherwise may not have had the opportunity to attend our programs.
Outreach then offered three concurrent 10-week programs that ran for two
hours, one day per week (Monday-Wednesday). We partnered with the Perkins
Library in the fall of 2020 to offer our first ever Book Club program, where we
read and discussed Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief and culminated with
watching the audio-described version of the movie. Kitchen Ambition offered
kitchen safety and skills education, and diverse, hands-on, guided cooking
experiences, with the support of parents and the facilitator. Pre-employment skills
offered individualized instruction on resume building, and job search and interview
skills. Over February 2021 school vacation, we offered a week of free one-hour
drop-ins to all students, with the goal of keeping connected and engaged. Offerings
included yoga, creative writing, cooking, Jeopardy, a spelling bee, a movie night,
and more.
