 Experience has taught us the most adaptable among us are the young. Bless with a fresh perspective and the optimism to see an opportunity in a dilemma, young people, with a little encouragement, in most cases prove to be better problem solvers than adults. A lot of life's baggage has yet to accumulate.
Some high school students in central Illinois recently wrote a book proving just how adaptable they are. The group was made up of students from Jacksonville High School and the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI) also located in Jacksonville. The students from the ISVI were joined with their sighted peers in a writing workshop that culminated in a group-authored book for the national market to be shared with local schools, libraries, organizations and parents.
The ISVI was designated as the project agency. On August 25, 1999, a federal Library Services Technology Act (LSTA) grant administered by the Illinois State Library for $21,510 was awarded to the school. It was awarded because it met many criteria for qualification including a unique ability to pull the community together while also addressing literacy and diversity. Ambition and flexibility were also cited in the award announcement. Early in 2000, the project got underway.
The theme adopted was Project S. O. A. R. S. Standing for Students Obtaining Authoring/Reading Skills, it was authored by Ms. Beverly Sanderson, Project Director for the grant and the librarian at (ISVI).
The central theme of the writing project was sportsmanship. Considering the diversity of bringing both sighted and visually impaired together in a new undertaking, it turned out to be the perfect subject matter. Students were to show the importance of accepting people's differences to function well as a team. From this concept, the students developed a central theme of aliens, some with disabilities, some without, working together in space. Reading, writing, and social interaction, along with community involvement, was a secondary but vital adjunct theme.
The group totaled 15 students, three from ISVI and 12 from Jacksonville High. The vehicle for introduction was Jacksonville High's Children's Literacy Class. In the initial informal meeting, the JHS students were amazed to find that the ISVI students participated in competitive sports, including track, swimming, wrestling and cheerleading. This knowledge lead to the group's solidification of their theme, accepting people's differences to work successfully as a team. Having fun at sports, not winning at all costs, was another important element of the learning theme. Using a cane and various technological devices, the ISVI students were able to demonstrate how they interact with others.
The workshop enabled students from both schools to develop a story about sports, individuals with disabilities and teamwork. Eventually, charters emerged without vision and others without limbs.
Another important element of the workshop was the hiring of a contractual advisor, a professional to oversee the formation of scenes, character development and overall storyline. This employee wrote down all the students' thoughts as they brainstormed. Some students suggested situations while others portrayed the characters and acted out scenes.
"After the workshop, the students were extremely busy in the writing and rewriting phase. Students even used their lunchtime, study halls, and after school hours to work on their book. The students were dedicated to creating an interesting and informative story about sports and disabilities," Sanderson said.
The book can be purchased in bookstores and on the Internet through Amazon.com. Braille versions are available through the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired.
For further information regarding this grant contact Ms. Beverly Sanderson, Illinois School for the Visually Impaired 658 E. State St., Jacksonville, IL., 62650-2184 Tele., 217-479-4471, Fax 217-243-1072 or e-mail isvi@fgi.net
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