VIDBE-Q Volume 68 Issue 3
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afternoon. Their goals for the week are developed before arriving for the week-
long program with the help of staff from NDVS/SB, and lessons that help them
reach these goals are their focus for the week. On Friday mornings, the adults
celebrate accomplishments in what our superintendent has dubbed a "courage
ceremony." After gathering clients and staff, the ceremony begins with the ringing
of the original bell from 1908 to celebrate all the important learning that has
occurred and the many goals that have been achieved. It is so powerful to hear
participants state how their confidence has increased, and they are often eager for
more learning. Most impressive and heart-warming are the comments of
encouragement from each other.
During our elementary, middle school, and teen weeks, students work on
individualized goals that they, their teachers, and their families write together.
They also focus on Expanded Core Curriculum skills, as well as group recreation.
These week-long programs offer a chance for students to lean intensely into the
nine areas of the ECC and get to know other students who have a visual
impairment. Because we are a rural state, many of our students are the only ones
with a visual impairment in their district or school. Being among peers who also
have a visual impairment and connecting with them is often the most meaningful
part of the week for our students and the adult clients who attend STP.
