Science Academy Impact  

The Science Academy has had a profound impact on the students who have attended the last two years.  Not only did they gain first-hand experience with scientific concepts, they were able to meet blind adults working in the field.  The following are excerpts from correspondence and interviews with the Science Academy attendees and their parents:

"Throughout the week-long program, I learned skills that I will never forget. Seeing other successful blind people thriving in their lives truly inspired me. I constantly use the skills that I learned from the blind facilitators and teachers. They taught us lessons that will guide us for the rest of our lives."

- Hoby Wedler, CA

"The camp experience helped me understand science because I had hands on with everything - Nothing was 'Here look at this, but don't touch it.' Everything was 'Here, touch this, try not to use your eyes.' So it was easier for me to pick out what things were and what they did."

- Tiffani Clements, CA

Science Academy "has given me confidence in myself because I was able to see a lot of blind people who have been successful in science. Probably without this camp I would never get to meet such people."

- Andrew Wai, PA

"The combination of meeting the National Federation of the Blind people and the NASA scientists was empowering and fascinating to him.  He came away with a much greater sense of knowing that he can truly make it in the world."

- Terry Wedler, writing of her son Hoby