Hello all, Sending this again as the forwarded message may not have been received by all. Please contact Marc with any questions. ---- South Africa: NOMCs wanted for one week Would you like to be part of a team to train teachers and staff in basic O&M at the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, South Africa in October? The You Cane Give Initiative seeks two NOMC instructors to join our four-member team. The other two team members are a third NOMC instructor and a special educator skilled at providing professional development for teachers. Dates: October 7 through 16. Depart the US on Saturday, Oct. 7. Conduct program activities at the school the week of Oct. 9. Depart Cape Town on Sunday, Oct. 15 and arrive in the US on the 16th. You are welcomed to stay longer to go on a wildlife safari or do other sight-seeing. Expenses: You Cane Give will pay for all meals, hotel, local transportation, and 25 percent of airfare. We can also assist you with some fund-raising support if needed. About You Cane Give (YCG). YCG, <http://www.youcanegive.org> www.youcanegive.org is a Tennessee-based nonprofit that donates refurbished white canes around the world where they are not available or affordable by recipients. Thus far we have delivered 1,968 white canes for the blind to people in 29 countries. We receive both new and used canes from blind individuals all over the United States, we gather groups of people together to refurbish them, and then we either mail the requested canes or send the canes with groups of people traveling overseas. About the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town. In March 2023, a team of 5 of us delivered 250 white canes to the Athlone School and conducted a series of trainings for students and teachers. The school has about 305 blind students from kindergarten through high school, each from lower income families. A third of the students are boarding, while the rest are day students. There is only one orientation and mobility instructor on staff. The school is therefore eager for us to return to train their blind and sighted teachers on basic white cane travel instruction techniques so they can continuously promote greater independent travel by the students. The headmaster would also like to have some parents and local non-profit staff members participate in this training as well. If you would like to learn more about this opportunity to join our team, please contact us by Wednesday, June 21, 2023. You can reach me at: Marc Companion Email: <mailto:marcc2vt at gmail.com> marcc2vt at gmail.com Phone: 802-373-0250 Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you! Marc Kristen J. Sims, MEd. NOMC NCUEB Instructor, Orientation and Mobility Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness Louisiana Tech University 210 Woodard Hall 318-257-4554 <mailto:ksims at latech.edu> ksims at latech.edu