On February 17, 2012 our two Braille readers from Kenai Middle School participated in “Braille Challenge Alaska”, a State competition held in Anchorage.

Students from different areas of the State met at the offices of the Anchorage School District.  The contestants were divided into categories according to age and Braille skills.  Our students participated in tests of speed and accuracy, proofreading, comprehension and graph reading.  The winners of the Braille Challenge Alaska will go to the nationals and compete with Braille readers from other states.

While students were participating in the Braille Challenge, parents, teachers and others were gathering together for very informative workshops.  The Alaska Parent’s of Blind Children organized a parent seminar.  A variety of subjects were discussed, such as Looking Good without Looking, Recreational Opportunities, Looking Forward to the Future, and much more.

The KPBSD Vision Program, John Clare, Jordana Engebretsen, Peggy Jones and Holly Downs would like to express thanks to our School District.  Thanks for the support for our Vision Program!  Special thanks to Bob Ermold, our supervisor who traveled with us to the Alaska Braille Challenge.

Article submitted by Jordana Engebretsen, Vision Teacher at Kenai Middle School