Count down to Memorial Day and the beginning of summer!
It's time to start thinking about the American Council of the Blind of Minnesota (ACBM) Daily-3 fundraiser. By purchasing a ticket you will have 10 chances to win $100! You can purchase a ticket for $20. When the 2-digit number on your ticket matches the last two digits of the Minnesota Daily-3 lottery number, in the order drawn, you will win $100. You have 10 different chances to win starting on May 22, 2011 and ending on May 31, 2011.
To purchase a ticket, contact Catalina Roisum at (612) 227-3011 or at [email protected]. You can also send your money now for Daily-3 tickets to American Council of the Blind of Minnesota, P.O. Box 7341, Minneapolis, MN 55407. We will send you a card with your number in large print and in braille. We will sell only 100 tickets, so make sure you get in on this opportunity!
IVIE is planning another exciting conference which will be of most interest to those who already have their own business or are thinking of that possibility. Our annual Business Networking Breakfast and business meeting will be held on Monday, July 11, from 7:00-8:15 a.m. It's your opportunity to meet and share information with other business owners and learn from them. Afterward, we will conduct our annual business meeting. On Wednesday, July 13, we will hold a luncheon and program from 12:30-2:30 p.m., which will include two panel presentations: "Networking Options That Work" and "Business Opportunities Open to Blind Individuals." On Thursday, July 14, we will hold the IVIE Business Expo. Blind and visually impaired business owners will showcase their products and services and answer your questions. (No charge for those visiting the booths.) We hope to see you this summer.
For those wishing to sell their products or share their services or business opportunities, booths are only $10 for members or $25 for non-members. Why not pay our $15 membership fee and get involved? Visit www.ivie-acb.org for more information on membership benefits.
The National Association of Blind Teachers has been hard at working planning an exciting and interesting program agenda for the 2011 convention! We would like you to join us for some or all of our activities during convention week.
We kick off our convention activities with our annual breakfast, program and business meeting which will take place on Sunday, July 10, from 8 to 11 a.m. After breakfast, Dr. Otis Stephens from Knoxville, Tenn. will speak to us on a very timely topic, "Residential Schools: Present, Past and Future." Our annual business meeting will follow after a brief break. Come and learn more about our organization, and help us to elect officers and make other important decision. All are welcome!
On Monday, July 11, we will focus on safety. Safety expert Tracey Hawkins from Safety and Security Source, Kansas City, Mo., will be on hand to present two informative program sessions. The first session, "Social Media and Smart Phone Safety," will begin at 1:15 p.m. You will learn how to communicate safely with friends, family, clients and business associates while on Facebook, Twitter and more. Learn what not to say and know what is being said about you and what you can do about it. Get up-to-date information on the latest accessible apps for your smart phone to keep you safe and your property secure. The second presentation, which begins at 2:45, will be "Safety and Security in Private and Public Places." This program will teach you how to create a plan to help prevent workplace, school and public dangerous situations. Learn what to do if involved in a dangerous public situation. Implement do-it-yourself techniques to secure your residence. Educate yourself about what is on the market to keep you safe and keep your residence secure.
On Tuesday, July 12 at 1:15 p.m., NABT will present an interactive panel discussion entitled "Outlook for Blind Teachers: Perks, Payoffs and Alternatives." As the title implies, this workshop will highlight the perks and payoffs -- financial and otherwise -- of choosing teaching as a career if you are blind or visually impaired. Alternatives to school teaching, such as corporate teaching, private tutoring and teaching adult classes, will also be covered. Panelists will include experienced teachers working in preschool to college as well as various other settings. If you are considering teaching as a career or if you are an educator who would like to teach in a different setting, this workshop is especially for you!
NABT has planned a plethora of excellent programming which will interest teachers and non-teachers alike! We hope you will plan to join us during convention week.
-- Carla Hayes