The Ohio State School for the Blind, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Education, Office for Exceptional Children, Center for Instructional Supports and Accessible Materials (CISAM), Braille Excellence for Students and Teachers Project (BEST) Grant, and the Ohio State University will be hosting two summer camps. Through this collaboration, we will be offering educational experiences to school age students in Ohio who are blind or visually impaired.
The following camps will be offered during summer 2013:
Enrichment Camp |
Dates |
Student’s Grade & Ages |
Braille Immersion |
June 24-28, 2013 |
Entering Grades 3-7, |
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) |
June 24-28, 2013 |
Entering Grades 8-12, |
For information on individual camps, please click here. To access the full application, please click here. Applications can be filled out and submitted via email, fax, or printed out and mailed in to OSSB.
The application forms must be completed and returned to the Ohio State School for the Blind by Friday, June 14, 2013. Participants will be notified of their acceptance by mail along with a registration form and medical form to be completed and returned.
If you have any questions, please contact the Superintendent’s Office:
Angela Scott-Owens
Ohio State School for the Blind
614-752-1152
Fax: 614-752-1713
ascottowens@ossb.oh.gov
OSSB is collaborating with Functional Training Services this summer to provide the Summer Work and Learn Program. This popular summer program will operate from June 24th through August 2nd, 2013.
If you are between the ages of 18 and 24, have a visual impairment, and have a VRP3 or BSVI Counselor, want to work, make money, learn and have fun, this is the program for you! The Work and Learn Program is a six week residential program at OSSB, where you will have a paid work experience in the Columbus community, gain computer and other technology skills, daily living and orientation and mobility skills, and recreation and leisure skills.
If you are interested in attending the program, please complete the three attached documents, give them to your BSVI or VRP3 Coordinator, then send them to Ann Pilewskie, at the Ohio State School for the Blind, 5220 North High St., Columbus, OH 43214.
If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Ann at 614-728-1961 or apilewskie@ossb.oh.gov.
Invitation | Application | Questionnaire
We are proud to acknowledge 175 years of educational excellence at the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB). The school, formerly known as The Institution for the Education of the Blind, officially opened July 4, 1837. It has the distinction of being the first public school for the blind in the United States. The students at OSSB welcome you in celebrating this historic legacy.
For more information click here.
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 27, 2013 | No School |
| Graduation/Last Day of School | Friday, May 31, 2013 |
If you would like to download a copy of the OSSB 2012-2013 school calendar please click on the link below.
2012-2013 School Calendar
Parents, Alumni and Community Partners
In early 2012 the Ohio State Board of Education created a taskforce to study the current governance structure at the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) and the Ohio School for the Deaf (OSD). The Task Force worked diligently with each school to gather information through monthly reports from the school Superintendents, tours of each school, solicitation of stakeholder input and feedback, and a comparative study of the governance of other schools for the blind and schools for the deaf. The Task Force made recommendations to the State Board of Education that were accepted at the Board’s June 2012 meeting. Click here to review recommendations
The Ohio State School for the Blind appreciates the work of the Task Force, the confidence of the State Board of Education and your support and participation throughout this process. The school continues to be a viable educational option to provide educational programs and services for boys and girls with visual impairments throughout the state of Ohio.
Sincerely,
Cynthia M. Johnson
Superintendent
Ohio State School for the Blind
The new residential dorm buildings have passed the required construction inspections. Final interior work is being done. Once this work is completed to the school’s satisfaction, the transitioning of the residential students into their new dorm rooms will begin.
The construction of the new academic school building is going well and scheduled to be completed Spring of 2013.
The new school building project continues to require alternate traffic and parking at OSSB.
The front entrance (High Street) of the school will be used for construction vehicles only and closed to all other traffic. Therefore ALL vehicles will need to enter and exit the OSSB campus via Foster Avenue using the school’s side gate entrance. Once you are on school grounds please follow the “Parking Signs”. Be aware there is very limited student drop-off and visitor parking at the back entrance of the building.
With all of the changes taking place, total separation will be complete between the schools and the construction sites very soon. We ask that the schools remind their staff and students that the construction areas are off limits. Safety of all staff and students is priority one and is discussed with our workers during their orientations.
Below is a document available for download that contains the plans with notes for the forthcoming construction of the new academic and residential buildings.
OSSB Logistics Plan/Notes/Instructions