Ezra Jack Keats Foundation awards grant to SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
June 21, 2017
Students at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind will soon have their very own story books with touchable illustrations.
Thanks to a grant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, students will be able to write their own stories in braille and create raised illustrations using a variety of materials. “Students who are blind or have several visual impairments do not have access to the wealth of information contained in book illustrations,” said Galena Gaw, director of library services and author of the grant request. “A good way to provide greater access is through raised illustrations and braille text.” Gaw is one of only 64 teachers and librarians across the country to receive a Keats mini-grant. She is also the only SC recipient of this year’s grant.
The grant will be used to provide materials for the “Tactile Tales” after-school program. Students will write the stories, create raised illustrations, and produce the text using their braille writers, computers, or other devices. The grant will fund sample tactile books, book binding combs, and a wide variety of touchable materials such as felt, pipe cleaners, and cloth. Various types of paper will also be funded including braille, card stock, construction, and textured.
The “Tactile Tales” program will support the school’s Read to Succeed initiatives and the Expanded Core Curriculum, a nationally recognized curriculum designed to ensure that students develop independent living skills. Teachers and after-school staff will be available to assist the students if needed but learning to work independently is an important goal for the program.
“Many teachers and librarians have wonderful ideas for innovative and inspiring programs – ‘if only’ there was money in the budget to implement them,” said Deborah Pope, executive director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “For 30 years, the EJK Foundation has helped educators realize their programmatic ideas, the kinds of ideas that make a difference in students’ lives. And, the application process is a breeze. We look forward to turning ‘if only’ into ‘the kids learned so much and had a great time!’ “
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation has provided nearly $880,000 in support of mini-grant programs spanning the 50 states and the U.S. Commonwealth. To learn more about mini-grants, visit http://www.ezra-jack-keats.org/section/ezra-jack-keats-mini-grant-program .
About the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation
Founded by the late Caldecott award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation fosters children’s love of reading and creative expression by supporting arts and literacy programs in public schools and libraries; cultivating new writers and illustrators of exceptional picture books that reflect the experience of childhood in our diverse culture; and protecting and promoting the work of Keats. To learn more about the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, visit www.ezra-jack-keats.org. Keats. Imagination. Diversity.
About the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is the state’s specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. It offers pre-K-12 educational programs on its main campus in Spartanburg and specialized vision and hearing services in school districts and homes throughout the state. For more information, go to www.scsdb.org or call the school’s toll-free number at 1-888-447-2732.
About The Walker Foundation
Founded in 1979 for the sole purpose of working directly with the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, The Walker Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing the resources that enable the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind to achieve its mission and goals. For more information, please visit www.walkerfdn.org or call 864-577-7583.
