Happy White Cane Day weekend to everyone! I’m excited to share a few updates and hope you’ll join us in celebrating and sharing! * New OSEP Personnel Prep Awards * OSEP Grants to Support Technology-Based Transition Experiences for Students who are Blind/Visually Impaired * OSEP Blog Series: White Cane Day / O&M New OSEP Personnel Prep Awards We’re very pleased to share about a number of programs recently-funded by OSEP to support the preparation of personnel in the field of B/VI. This year, OSEP held 3 competitions for grants to prepare special education and early intervention personnel: * 84.325K – Preparation of Early Intervention and Special Education Personnel Serving Children With Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs; * 84.325R – Preparation of Related Services Personnel Serving Children With Disabilities who Have High-Intensity Needs; * 84.325M – Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions For the B/VI field, the following programs were awarded new OSEP personnel prep grant funds this year: Cal State LA * Project Director: Dr. Nick Casias, 325R to prepare O&M Specialists * Project Director: Dr. Nick Casias, 325M to prepare O&M Specialists * Project Director: Dr. Cheryl Kamei-Hannan: 325M to prepare EC-VI specialists Northern Illinois University: * Project Director: Dr. Stacy Kelly, 325K to prepare TVIs and O&M Specialists * Project Director: Dr. Stacy Kelly, 325R to prepare O&M Specialists Salus University: * Project Director: Dr. Fabiana Perla, 325K to prepare TVIs * Project Director: Dr. Jamie Maffit, 325R to prepare O&M Specialists U Mass Boston * Project Director: Dr. Callie Brusegaard, 325R to prepare O&M Specialists Vanderbilt University: * Project Director: Dr. Rachel Schles, 325K to prepare TVIs Western Michigan University, University of Pittsburgh, and Portland State (collaborative project) * Project Director: Dr. Rob Wall Emerson, 325R to prepare O&M Specialists Read about all of OSEP’s 2023 Personnel Preparation Awards: * U.S. Department of Education Awards More Than $35 Million to Develop Personnel in Support of Children with Disabilities | U.S. Department of Education<https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-more-35-million-develop-personnel-support-children-disabilities> * OSEP Awards More Than $35M for Personnel Preparation Grants (ed.gov)<https://sites.ed.gov/idea/osep-awards-personnel-prep-professional-development-grants-2023> OSEP Grants to Support Technology-Based Transition Experiences for Students who are Blind/Visually Impaired Two projects were awarded funding under a new OSEP grant opportunity focused on technology-based approaches to providing transition experiences for students with sensory disabilities. Please reach out to the OSEP Project Officers for more information or if you’d like to collaborate. EMPOWERing Transition-Aged Students with Visual Impairments (Vanderbilt University) Project Director: Hilary Travers, with Transition Tennessee OSEP Project Officer: Eric Caruso, eric.caruso@ed.gov<mailto:eric.caruso@ed.gov> The goal of this project is to equip transition-aged students with visual impairments (VI) in rural communities, their families, and transition professionals who serve them with virtual supports to improve postsecondary education and employment outcomes in Tennessee and beyond. Read more: New transition project focuses on empowering youth with visual impairments in rural communities - Notables (vkcsites.org)<https://notables.vkcsites.org/2023/09/new-transition-project-focuses-on-empowering-youth-with-visual-impairments-in-rural-communities/> LEAP Connect (ReSOURCE: A Nonprofit Community Enterprise, Inc.) Project Director: Michelle Gates, partners include Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Vermont Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired OSEP Project Officer: Rebecca Sheffield, rebecca.sheffield@ed.gov<mailto:rebecca.sheffield@ed.gov> The purpose of LEAP Connect is to address the opportunity gaps faced by blind and visually impaired youth by providing technology-based transition programs. The program aims to increase accessibility and participation of blind and visually impaired students in pre-vocational experiences, increase the capacity of schools and state vocational rehabilitation agencies to provide transition services, increase collaboration among stakeholders, and improve post-secondary education and job market outcomes for students. The expected outcomes include increased student intention to participate in career or college experiences, achievement of individualized technology goals, increased use of assistive technology skills, and increased stakeholder engagement. Read more: LEAP - ReSOURCE (resourcevt.org)<https://resourcevt.org/training-programs/leap/> OSEP Blog Series: White Cane Day / O&M We’re also excited to let you know about an OSERS blog series with a focus on O&M. The first post went live yesterday; another was posted this morning. The third will be up in the next few days. In addition to raising awareness about O&M, each post has/will have information about how interested students and school districts can connect with O&M preparation programs that have OSEP funding to support O&M scholars. The three posts are each based on interviews with people in the field: * Paths into the Profession: Personnel Preparation for Orientation and Mobility Specialists<https://sites.ed.gov/osers/2023/10/paths-into-the-profession-personnel-preparation-for-orientation-and-mobility-specialists/> (Amy Parker – Portland State, Molly Pasley – Northern Illinois). Also promoted on X/Twitter<https://twitter.com/ED_Sped_Rehab/status/1712558718611751153?s=20>. * Paths into the Profession: Current Orientation and Mobility Specialists and a Cane User<https://sites.ed.gov/osers/2023/10/paths-into-the-profession-current-orientation-and-mobility-specialists-and-a-cane-user/#more-5905> (Meredith Grace La Hue – Florida State graduate and adjunct faculty, Joe Strechay – Florida State / APH) * (coming soon) Paths into the Profession: Current Scholars in Orientation and Mobility Programs (Justin Pierce – Western Michigan, Laura Liedtka – Texas Tech) This link will take you to the entire series, including all the blogs as they are posted.<https://sites.ed.gov/osers/tag/white-cane-safety-day-2023/> We’re anticipating additional social media from OSERS and RSA around a Presidential Proclamation for Blind Americans Equality Day, which we’ll also connect with these blog posts. In the footer of each blog post, we’ve included links to webpages for all university O&M programs that have new/continuing OSEP funding to support O&M scholars. Please help us share all this good news! Thank you all, and enjoy the weekend.