1. YOUTH SLAM The NFB brought 200 high school students who were blind or low-vision to the campus of Johns Hopkins University for four days of hands on science & engineering activities. Students chose between various “tracks”, one of which involved launching an instrument on a small balloon. The students worked in teams of three, with a mentor from NFB.

2. Building Parachutes

3. Launch

4. The Flotilla

5. Testing the Lift Capacity of a Weather Balloon AIR SLAM

6. Neutral Buoyancy Exercise

7. KEY CONCEPTS Make the tasks challenging! Don’t “make it easy” because the students are blind. Don’t be too quick to help. Practice the activities with blind students. Foster confidence in the participants. Emphasize career possibilities. MAKE IT FUN.