Calendar of Events & Trainings

1: 2024 LBPD Summer Reading Challenge Kickoff Event, 10 am - 2 pm. Join us for the Summer Reading Kickoff! Chart a course and create an adventure as you make a tactile treasure map with the Tactile Art Club. Then, come by the summer reading registration table as you enjoy an afternoon snack. Don't delay, start your adventure today!

8: First day of Language, Literacy, and Assessment: A Symposium on Meeting the Needs of Multilingual Learners with Visual Impairments. Virtual, 11 am to 5 pm EST. Topics include: assessment processes, early childhood, assistive technology (AT), inclusive language and literacy, and the science of reading. Up to 15 ACVREP credits available. The cost to attend is $40.

8: Hiking with Maryland Parents of Blind Children, 10 am. Join us for a beautiful summer hike and picnic at Cascade Falls in Patapsco State Park (5120 South Street, Halethorpe, Maryland 2227). Families will be responsible for their own food and drinks and there will be a small admission fee per person. Contact Melissa Sheeder at melissas@mdschblind.org or 410-868-2779 to register.

10: LPBD Tactile Tour: Natural History Society of Maryland, 2 to 3 pm. With five very distinct physiographic regions that range from mountaintops to the seashore, Maryland is often referred to as America in miniature. During this visit, you can feel your way through each region of the state by interacting with specimens from the museum's collection.

10: NLS Summer Reading: Another Bridge for Literacy for Children Who Are Blind or Low Vision, 7 pm. The NLS Patron Engagement Section will host this 90-minute session, featuring a national panel of experts on literacy in the blind and low-vision community, to discuss the state of literacy among low-vision children and adults and describe approaches for improving literacy outcomes.

11: APH Webinar: Discover the Latest Updates in JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion: May 2024 Edition. 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST. Join us for this Partner Showcase webinar to learn about new features and enhancements in the May updates of JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion. We'll discuss how features like the new Picture Smart AI in JAWS and Fusion and increased xFont support for ZoomText and Fusion can benefit you at work, in school, and in your daily life.  

12: MDTAP webinar AT for Free: Reuse Programs Across the State, 11 am - 12 pm. Join us as we share information on the Maryland High Tech AT Reuse Program, the online equipment exchange site, and many other resources across the state to access free and low cost AT and durable medical equipment. Hosted by Shawn Bateman, AT Reuse Coordinator with MDTAP.

13: NCUEB test at the Maryland School for the Blind. Registration deadline is May 20. 

13: APH Webinar: Abacus Divide and Conquer. 1:30 - 3:30 pm EST. Practice is everything, especially when learning how to divide numbers using the abacus. Webinar attendees will be guided through dividing single-digit numbers using the abacus. As confidence is gained, training progresses to division of larger numbers, along with guidance to understand common abacus mistakes. The webinar will end with exploring the use of an abacus as a portable calendar.

14: Blindness and Mental Health Summit. Virtual 8 am - 5 pm EST. Join us for the first annual Blindness and Mental Health Summit! The Summit is the largest online gathering of organizations and consumers sharing information, resources, and services focusing on mental health in the blindness, low vision, and disability communities. Registration is free!

15: MSB Outreach: School’s Out Splashdown for ages 3+. Family event for ages 3+. Enjoy a waterslide and sprinkler, the accessible playground, popsicles and fun!

18: NLS Summer Reading 2024: Story Time and Music by Turtle Dance Music, 4 pm on Zoom. Turtle Dance Music Man Matt Mazur is back! Matt will lead us in singing and dancing and treat our young readers to a reading of Saturday by Oge Mora. For K through 3rd grade, but all are welcome.

22: Second day of Language, Literacy, and Assessment: A Symposium on Meeting the Needs of Multilingual Learners with Visual Impairments. Virtual, 11 am to 5 pm EST.

23 - 27: MSB Camp Abilities at Lions Camp Merrick: A five-day, overnight outdoor education camp located at Lions Camp Merrick on the beautiful Potomac River in Nanjemoy, MD. Includes canoeing, fishing, ropes courses, and more! For students 9-17 years old.  

24: NLS Summer Reading Kickoff, virtual, 4 pm. NLS Director Jason Broughton will  kick off this year’s summer reading program with a warm welcome and Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden will delight our young readers with a picture book reading of The Adventures of Marshmallow and Peter by Peter Heath.

23-25: Perkins CVI Conference: Building Meaningful Recognition. In person in Boston. We will explore quality assessment and instructional practices that help build meaningful recognition and access, current research about CVI, and advocacy resources for families and providers boldly driving change.

3 - 8: NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida.

8 - August 2: MISLE at MSB. Ages 16-21. Overnight Program. A Work Experience and Independent Living Experience on campus (Monday-Friday) & and the student's placed in work experiences in the surrounding community. There is an employment interview and orientation requirement (Week of May 13, 2024) that each student must complete to participate in MISLE.

8 - 9: MSB T.r.E.C.C.k. for Success (ages 6-10): A day camp on the MSB campus that highlights skills in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) for students who are blind and visually impaired. This year is Art Escapes themed! Little TrECCk, for ages 6-10: July 8-9. 

10 - 12: MSB T.r.E.C.C.k. for Success (ages 11 - 15): A day camp on the MSB campus that highlights skills in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) for students who are blind and visually impaired. This year is Art Escapes themed! Big TrECCk, for ages 11-15: July 10-12.

12: Deadline to apply for the APH Monarch Student Pilot Project.

14 - 19: MSB Camp Abilities: An overnight sports camp at the MSB campus featuring goalball, beep baseball, track and field and much, much more! For students 12-17 years old.

18: Family Dinners at MSB 2024, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. You are cordially invited to the MSB campus on Thursday evenings this summer to help create the "Story of Us":  a collaborative, community event for our students and families both on campus and off. Every student/family that participates in at least one session this summer will receive a professionally bound copy of the book once it is completed.

22 - 24: MSB TrECCk at the bECCh, Salisbury, MD: In collaboration with Wicomico County and Salisbury University, MSB Outreach will bring adapted sports and games to blind and low-vision students on the Eastern Shore.

24 - 28: International AER Conference in Charlotte, NC. Now accepting proposals here

25: Family Dinners at MSB 2024, 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

29: Vision to Learn Eye Clinic: MSB Outreach and Vision to Learn are partnering to offer a one-day Eye Clinic on the MSB campus in order to provide routine eye exams and eyeglasses free of charge to students under age 18. This is open to students across Maryland, not just at MSB! 

1: Family Dinners at MSB 2024, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. You are cordially invited to the MSB campus on Thursday evenings this summer to help create the "Story of Us":  a collaborative, community event for our students and families both on campus and off. Every student/family that participates in at least one session this summer will receive a professionally bound copy of the book once it is completed.

5-9: NFB Bell in Salisbury: The NFB BELL Academy provides children with Braille and nonvisual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning activities. The NFB BELL Academy is a nationwide summer program that prepares blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people who live the lives they want.

5-16: NFB Bell in Baltimore: The NFB BELL Academy provides children with Braille and nonvisual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning activities. The NFB BELL Academy is a nationwide summer program that prepares blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people who live the lives they want. 

8: NCUEB test at the Maryland School for the Blind. Registration deadline is July 15.

8-9: 2024 Connections Beyond Sight & Sound Virtual Summer Institute, 9:30 am to 4 pm. CBSS is holding a two-day virtual conference on various topics related to DeafBlind learners. Contact Cheri Dowling at cheri.dowling@msd.edu or 443-277-8899 with any questions. 

16: MDTAP webinar AT Solutions for Learning Disabilities, 11 am - 12:30 pm. Join us as we explore a variety of tech ideas to help with a range of learning disabilities. From theory practice, we'll consider a variety of technology solutions that support student learning in and out of the classroom. Hosted by MDTAP Executive Director Lori Berrong, ATACP.

16-18: 2024 Mid-Atlantic Student Seminar at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore. Get ready for an unforgettable weekend in the historic city of Baltimore! As blind students, we encounter unique daily realities that often go unrecognized or misunderstood. This seminar is your chance to delve into these experiences through engaging activities, thought-provoking discussions, and dynamic presentations.

22: Family Dinners at MSB 2024, 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

23- 25: 2024 AFB Leadership Conference. Minneapolis. The AFBLC is designed to cover the most pressing and relevant topics in blindness. It offers many opportunities to learn from our field's best and brightest minds, make new connections, and reunite with old friends. 2024 AFBLC's theme will be Leading in the Digital Age.

2 - 4: APH Annual Meeting. The American Printing House for the Blind has created specialized materials, products and services for people who are blind and low vision since 1879. Always hosted in October, we celebrate the Annual Meeting of APH Ex Officio Trustees (EOT) with our EOT Census Assistants, Online Ordering Assistants, and other attendees. Teachers are invited and welcome to attend. 

17: NCUEB test at the Maryland School for the Blind. Registration deadline is September 16. 

N/A

11: NCUEB test at the Maryland School for the Blind. Registration deadline is November 15.