SCCB to host First Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Career Exploration Week for blind students in the state

June 19th – 23rd 2017

The South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB), will host the First Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Career Exploration Week for blind students in the state, June 19th – 23rd 2017. The STEM Career Exploration Week will be held at the SC Commission for the Blind’s headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina.

During the week, blind students will explore career options in professions that advance the understanding of our planet and universe. A team of Physicists, Engineers, and Scientists will work with blind students in exploring STEM careers using tactile 3-D prints of the universe and nebula. The team includes scientists from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, San Jose State University, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the International Astronomical Union, among others.

“The Commission for the Blind is very excited to host the STEM Career Exploration Week and these scientists. Our program is a model program for students who are blind to explore meaningful careers in science and mathematics,” stated Kyle Walker, Director of Consumer Services at the Commission for the Blind.

All STEM professions include people who are blind who excel in their careers and who have contributed greatly to society. For example, Dr. Wanda Diaz-Merced is a blind physicist who is conducting research on cataclysmic stars using sonification techniques that allow her to listen to the universe. Dr. Diaz-Merced will participate in this year’s STEM camp using the latest distance training technology.

STEM careers are great options for blind students who are curious about their world, but how do they explore these options in South Carolina?

The South Carolina Commission for the Blind’s Career Exploration Lab, located in the Ellen Beach Mack Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, South Carolina, is equipped with the most advanced 3-D printer technology and accessible design hardware and software. The lab provides tactile learning experiences in many careers such as STEM, manufacturing, microenterprise development, product design, marketing, and many others.

For more information about the STEM Career Exploration Week or the Career Exploration Lab, please contact Jacqueline Keisler at 803-250-8062 or [email protected]
The mission of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind is to provide quality, individualized vocational rehabilitation services, independent living services, and prevention of blindness services to blind and visually impaired consumers leading to competitive employment and social and economic independence.