Project INSPIRE offers free courses to increase the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) potential of those who read braille. Funded through a five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Project INSPIRE (Increasing the STEM potential of Individuals Who Read Braille) will be adding new self-paced courses twice a year for TVIs (Teachers of the Visually Impaired), paraprofessionals, individuals who prepare braille, and others involved in supporting braille learners. The principal investigator for the project, Dr. Tina Herzberg, is Professor and Coordinator of the Visual Impairment Education Program at the University of South Carolina, Upstate. The project team has developed Nemeth in a Box for Middle School Students to help professionals and family members review or introduce symbols used in the Nemeth Braille code within UEB (Unified English Braille) for mathematical and scientific notations and “review math concepts in a fun way.” Offerings coming up soon are:
For Professionals: From February 14 through March 18, 2022, Course 5-Nemeth Code Symbols Used in the Middle Grades and Strategies for Supporting Math Learning will be available. The course requires a commitment of 12 to 15 hours over a period of five weeks and the registration deadline is February 10, 2022.
For Students: Beginning on Saturday, February 12, 2022 and continuing each Saturday through March 19, 2022, Project INSPIRE’s Nemeth in a Box offers middle school students across the country the opportunity to “play games and sharpen …Nemeth skills at the same time!” Materials needed for these one-hour sessions will be delivered free of charge in the “Nemeth Mystery Box.”
Read more about the project, the courses, and registration, from the Paths to Literacy article: Project INSPIRE: Increasing the STEM Potential of Individuals Who Read Braille Through Self-Paced Free Courses for Professionals and Materials for Middle School Students. If you have questions or need more information, contact Dr. Tina Herzberg at [email protected] or 864-503-5572.
