CONNECT
Youth & Other Programs
Get ready for an unforgettable experience with LIFE! This 4-week residential program is designed for students aged 14-18 who are heading back to high school in the fall of 2025. You’ll dive into exciting training that teaches essential blindness and advocacy skills, empowering you to take charge of your life. Explore your future goals with hands-on work experience, college planning, and develop new skills along the way. Plus, you’ll boost your confidence through fun physical activities, connect with inspiring mentors who are blind or vision-impaired, and tackle misconceptions with a positive attitude. And the best part? Every day is packed with opportunities to have a blast!
Important Dates
- Application Deadline: April 28, 2025
- Program Begins: July 6, 2025
- Program Ends: August 1, 2025
- Graduation Ceremony: August 1 at 11am
- Virtual Student/Parent meetings with staff: August 4 – 7, by appointment
Classes
- Braille
- Personal and Home Management (cooking, cleaning, and organizing)
- Independent travel skills using a long white cane
- Keyboarding/Computers
- Access Technology
- Job Readiness
- Work Experience*
- Conversations about Blindness
Confidence Building Activities
- Improvisation Training
- Formal Dinner/Dance
- Drivers Education Experience
- Movies
- Grilling
- Business and Social Networking Skills
- Whitewater Rafting
- Swimming
- Ropes Course
- and much more!
*Work Experience
- Students between the ages of 16 and 18 work part-time in a community-based setting during the last two weeks of the LIFE program.
- In some instances, staff will recommend that a student continue to focus on blindness skills (Travel skills, Braille, Access Technology, and Cooking) during the last two weeks of the program.
Amy C. Phelps, CRC, NOMC
Assistant Director for Instruction
Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired
401 Azalea Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23227
Telephone: (804) 371-3052
Email: amy.phelps@dbvi.virginia.gov
