Braille Institute Child & Youth

As of today, July 1, 2023, we will no longer be posting to our Braille Institute Child & Youth pages. Don’t worry, though we won’t be posting here anymore, the content of this page isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Still interested in following our Youth and Child Development program updates? Come follow us on Braille Institute! We’re grateful for your support, and hope you’ll continue to follow along. (By the way—you’ll definitely want to keep up with us on our Braille Institute page for exciting Braille Challenge updates coming in the fall.)

Image Description: White text on an ink blue background says "We're moving! Follow us on Braille Institute." The words "Braille Institute" are underlined. The Braille Institute logo sits in the top left corner.

Thank you to everyone who shared photos and videos during our 2023 Braille Challenge social media contest! We're thrilled to see so much love for Braille Challenge and braille literacy.

Unfortunately, due to a hashtag glitch on our end, we missed our leading entry. The plus side? We now get to celebrate TWO incredible winners. Congratulations to Kenny and Miles Lima with 1.3k likes on Facebook, and Ash-lee and Willow Townsend with 1.2k likes on Facebook! Thank you for sharing your love of braille with us. We’ll be contacting you directly regarding your prize.

Braille onward!

Image Description: A green-bordered graphic with the Braille Challenge logo, the text "Congratulations to our 2023 Braille Challenge social media contest winners!" and a golden yellow trophy icon in a solid blue circle.

On Saturday, June 24, we proudly announced the winners of the 2023 Braille Challenge at the Finals Awards Ceremony, held at the University of Southern California campus. Our winners placed out of the top 51 students invited to Braille Challenge Finals from the more than 800 students who participated in one of the 57 regional competitions. We are inspired by their hard work and dedication to braille literacy. Congratulations to our 2023 Braille Challenge winners and to all our incredible contestants. Braille onward!

Read the list of winners and our full press release here https://bit.ly/3poLgR4

Image Description: Dark blue text on a white background reads “Congratulations to our 2023 Braille Challenge Winners!” Beneath the text is the 2023 Braille Challenge logo. The image has a golden yellow border.

Our Braille Challenge Finals 2023 Awards Ceremony livestream begins tomorrow on Saturday, June 24, at 6.30pm PT. Join us tomorrow evening as we award this year's winners!

2023 Braille Challenge Finals Awards Ceremony - Saturday, June 24 Braille Institute hosts and celebrates 23 years of braille literacy with the international Braille Challenge Finals Awards Ceremony live streamed from the Un...

Seven-year-old Sienna Godoy, Apprentice Braille Challenge Finalist, and TVI Lauren Ingersoll were featured on KOGO-AM News 600 / iHeart Radio in San Diego. Hit play on the 'Braille Challenge' episode to listen to their interview.

Lucinda's Goodness | iHeart Good things are happening in San Diego! KOGO's Lucinda Kay puts the spotlight on things big and small that are having a positive impact on San Diego. Sponsored by Palomar Health, Reimagining Healthcare.

What about knowing braille makes you feel unstoppable? We asked our 2023 Braille Challenge Finalists this question, and today, we’re sharing their responses. While each student has a unique response, their answers prove all prove the same thing—braille literacy is empowerment.

23 years ago, we created Braille Challenge to encourage students to hone their braille literacy skills, which are essential to academic and employment success. Our goal is to foster a love of braille that makes every student feel unstoppable in their pursuit of a bright future.

Don’t forget to participate in our social media contest and share why you love braille for the chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card! Join us as we celebrate braille literacy during 2023 Braille Challenge Finals.

Image Description: Headshot of each finalist in a circular frame on a colorful polka dot background with their quote in white text on an ink blue background.

1. “With Braille I can read and do school work on my own.” – Levi Combs, Age 9

2. "I can read anything and can communicate with the world through writing. When I become a TVI or lawyer, I will use it for my work."
– Salome Cummins, Age 12

3. "Being able to read to find knowledge on anything I want to learn about, and being able to write my own stories." – Dominic Budell, Age 9

4. “Braille gives me the power to communicate through written form and express my ideas through it.” – Janna Cheung, Age 11

5. “I think it just makes me equal to everyone else who can read, and that’s the beauty of it.” – Charlie Bethay, Age 18

6. “Knowing braille makes me feel unstoppable because it helps me show the world that there isn't anything I can't do. I may do it in a different way, but I still do it.” – Mina Lamarra, Age 15

7. “I'm the only one in my classroom that knows a unique code.” – Matthew Heesen, Age 10

8. “There is always something new to learn. For example, a new short form or contraction.” – Aiza Shah, Age 8

9. "It gives me access to the world." – Mitchell Russell, Age 12

We're so proud of our Varsity Finalist, Lynn Wu! Listen to her incredible interview here.

2023 Braille Challenge at USC Dozens of people will be competing in the “Braille Challenge” at USC, which is a competition for students who are blind or visually impaired. Danny Alvero with the Braille Institute of Los Angeles and finalist Lynn Wu join us to talk about the upcoming competition.

Last but certainly not least, we’re proud to introduce our exceptional Varsity category Finalists. Meet Charlie Bethay, Nathan Deeds, Emily Groves, Savannah Lindberg, MaKenzie Love, Madeline Mau, Brooke Petro, Alan Quan, Margot Wehrle, and Lynn Wu. Congratulations!

We’re celebrating Braille Challenge Finals with a chance for you to win a $100 Amazon gift card! Anyone can participate. To enter, all you need to do is take a photo or video about Braille Challenge or braille. Share why you love braille in the caption! Upload your photo to Facebook or Instagram before June 28 and add the hashtags and . The post with the most likes by June 29 wins!

Image Description: A colorful infographic with the Braille Challenge 2023 social media contest information. It says, "Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! Take Photos and/or Videos about Braille Challenge or braille between June 14 - June 28. Share why you love braille! Upload your photos and/or videos to Facebook or Instagram. Make sure your post is public. Add the hashtags and to your post."

Meet this year’s brilliant Junior Varsity category Finalists! We’re proud to introduce Carmynn Blakely, Elena De Nooy, Mina Lamarra, Miles Lima, Christopher Morgan, EmmaGrace Olech, Hunter Pugh, May Resendiz, Braeden Robinson, and Logan Strickland. Congratulations!

Image Description: Each slide has a green finalist trading card with a photo of the finalist, their name and city and state, the Braille Challenge 2023 logo, and their competition category: "Finalist 2023 Junior Varsity." The trading card is set on a white background bordered with green and golden yellow. Sets of two stars decorate the sides.

CBS Local News covered Sienna Godoy, a 7 year old Apprentice Finalist in the 2023 Braille Challenge Finals. Sienna along with Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI), Lauren Ingersoll gave a “live” interview on the national competition. We're so proud of Sienna for representing braille literacy!

San Diego 7-year-old shines as finalist in the International Braille Challenge Braille Challenge is the only academic competition of its kind in North America and the U.K. for students who are blind or visually impaired. It motivates st...

Sharing this wonderful TV news story on Willow Townsend, a Freshman Finalist in the 2023 Braille Challenge Finals. We're looking forward to welcoming Willow in a few weeks!

Elkhart girl born blind qualifies for National Braille Challenge 10-year-old Willow Townsend is putting her lifelong learning of Braille to the test on the biggest stage.

Meet the rest of this year’s incredible Sophomore category Finalists! We are proud to introduce George Eaker, Keaton Hamilton, Jude Nickson, Mitchell Russell, and Emma Stamper. These talented students come from all across the United States and Canada. Congratulations!

Image Description: Each slide has a cyan finalist trading card with a photo of the finalist, their name and city and state, the Braille Challenge 2023 logo, and their competition category: "Finalist 2023 Sophomore." The trading card is set on a white background bordered with cyan and golden yellow. Sets of two stars decorate the sides.

Meet this year’s incredible Sophomore category Finalists! We are proud to introduce Reese Blum, Caleigh Caston, Janna Cheung, Salome Cummins, and Leo De Santis. Congratulations!

Image Description: Each slide has a cyan finalist trading card with a photo of the finalist, their name and city and state, the Braille Challenge 2023 logo, and their competition category: "Finalist 2023 Sophomore." The trading card is set on a white background bordered with cyan and golden yellow. Sets of two stars decorate the sides.

Meet this year’s talented Freshman category Finalists: Dominic Budell, Levi Combs, Hao Wen Deng, Matthew Heesen, Aviana Nelson, Aniyah Purvis, Zora Stover, Willow Townsend, Emrie Wisner, and Anne Ye. We admire your hard work and dedication to braille literacy. Congratulations!



Image Description: Each slide has a yellow finalist trading card with a photo of the finalist, their name and city and state, the Braille Challenge 2023 logo, and their competition category: "Finalist 2023 Freshman." The trading card is set on a white background bordered with yellow and ink blue. Sets of two gold stars decorate the sides.

Meet this year’s amazing Apprentice finalists! We’re excited to introduce Elizabeth Cibuzar, Emma Bieker, Lucille Conner, Sienna Godoy, Lucas Kirby, Adalyn Kumm, Yilin Luyk, Luise Schmidt-Eisenlohr, Aiza Shah, and Tianna Tollefson. Congratulations!



Image Description: Each slide has a purple finalist trading card with a photo of the finalist, their name and city and state, the Braille Challenge 2023 logo, and their competition category: "Finalist 2023 Apprentice." The trading card is set on a white background bordered with purple and golden yellow. Sets of two stars decorate the sides.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, a volunteer instructor from Friends of Braille Institute San Diego hosted a small group of youth and adult students in a flower arrangement workshop. Students explored flower textures and scents while creating their own unique bouquets to give to their families. Additional bouquets were donated to residents of local senior living homes, allowing students to contribute to their community in a meaningful way. We’re immensely proud of our students for bringing joy to their families and others in the community!



Slide 1: Youth student arranges flowers into a water-filled vase with an adult aid standing over her.

Slide 2: Youth students sit and stand around a large conference table with flowers.

Slide 3: An adult aid and youth student both smiling at a vase of flowers.

Braille Challenge Finals are only a month away! In celebration, we’re highlighting a two-time national winner of the Braille Challenge, Claire. As a college graduate now working as a Public Policy Analyst, she uses braille every single day. She credits the Braille Institute and Braille Challenge for starting her on a journey of learning and loving braille.

“Braille Challenge has immeasurably improved my life,” Claire says. “It was invaluable for its competitive nature and fun, positive environment. It can be isolating to navigate the world with blindness or vision loss. But this program brings students together and shows us we’re not alone.”

You can make this possible for current and future generations by supporting Braille Challenge today!



Image Description: Claire sits on a stone bench with greenery behind her, smiling. She rests a hand on her guide dog, a golden labarador, who stands just in front of her. At the bottom of the image on an ink blue banner is the braille challenge logo and an excerpt of Claire's quote: "...this program brings students together and shows us we're not alone."

We are proud to announce our 2023 Teacher of the Year: April Makley of Grand Rapids, Michigan! April Makley has been a Teacher Consultant of the Visually Impaired (TCVI) for more than twenty years, working with students across grade levels who have visual impairments. She teaches braille from infant preliteracy through college level classes, helping students develop key braille literacy skills for success.

Thank you, April, for your dedication to your students and excellence in braille instruction. We’re looking forward to honoring you at Braille Challenge Finals in June!

Read our full press release on our website here. https://bit.ly/45oHfw5

Kent ISD

Image Description: Inside a classroom, April Makley kneels next to a student wearing dark glasses with a braille eReader in her lap. They are both giving big smiles to the camera.

The moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here—we’re proud to announce the fifty finalists for our 2023 Braille Challenge Finals competition!

These fifty students scored the highest in braille literacy out of over eight hundred participating students across the US, Canada, and the UK. This year, our finalists come from twenty-two US states and two Canadian provinces. Thirty-one out of fifty finalists are returning competitors who have previously participated in Braille Challenge Finals. Finals will take place from June 23 - 24 on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles, CA.

Visit our website for the full list of finalists here. https://bit.ly/3M3qWNF



Image Description: The 2023 Braille Challenge logo on a white background. The logo includes the text "Celebrating 23 Years of Braille Literacy." Beneath the logo is text in white Atkinson Hyperlegible font on an ink blue background that says "Congratulations to our 2023 Braille Challenge finalists!"

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Mark Hamill, who you might recognize as Luke Skywalker, was the celebrity guest emcee at Braille Challenge Finals! Actually, it was in 2008, but that's still a pretty long time ago.

We love these photos of Mark Hamill with our finalists. as we head into Braille Challenge Finals!



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Slide 1: Mark Hamill speaking at the Braille Institute podium.

Slide 2: Three young Braille Challenge finalists pose together with Mark Hamill, all holding their white canes. The young child on the left holds a trophy along with his cane. Mark Hamill stands behind them with his hands on the shoulders of two of the contestants. Everybody has an excited smile.

Slide 3: Mark Hamill stands with a finalist in a floral dress. They are both smiling.

Slide 4: Mark Hamill shakes the hand of a smiling Braille Challenge Finalist in a bright blue dress shirt, holding a white cane.

We’re hosting an Open House day exclusively for children and their families! Join us on Saturday, May 13, from 10.30am - 1.00pm for the Library Kids and Family Day at the reimagined Los Angeles Library. We’ll explore the new Kids’ Room and the sensory wall and mural with artist Megan Whitmarsh and enjoy musical storytelling from special guest Henry Lien, author of the Peasprout Chen series. Lunch will be provided.

To RSVP, please call 1-800-808-2555 or email [email protected]. We hope you’ll join us there!

Image Description: Blue heading on a white background that says "Library Kids and Family Day." Beneath it is black text with the event details: "Saturday, May 13 10.30am - 1.00pm Braille Institute Los Angeles Library." The lower part of the image includes white text on a blue background that says "With Special Guests Author Henry Lien [and] Artist Megan Whitmarsh." The names of each guest are beneath headshot photos in circular frames, side by side.

We are thrilled to have our new sensory wall featured in the Los Angeles Times in this incredible article by Deborah Vankin. The sensory wall, titled “Many Roads, Many Hands” features a unique combination of tactile elements, musical instruments, braille, and audio recordings to capture an imaginative, lively depiction of Los Angeles. Visitors to our Los Angeles library can find the sensory wall in our children’s room and a colorful mural counterpart in the lobby.

Thank you to Deborah Vankin and Genaro Molina for sharing the story of our sensory wall! We also want to give a special thank you to artists Carla Tome and Megan Whitmarsh for creating such beautiful, interactive art for our patrons—you prove that with art, there are truly no boundaries in sight.

Read the full Los Angeles Times article here. https://lat.ms/3Lx3isz

Image by Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Times Tome Ceramics

Image Description: Artists Megan Whitmarsh and Carla Tome stand smiling in front of the new sensory wall in the Braille Institute Los Angeles Library.

Do touch the art. This first-of-its kind L.A. artwork offers a tactile cityscape The Braille Institute Los Angeles debuts its new Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired on April 26. We get a first look at its L.A. cityscape sensory wall and mural.

Earlier this month, Braille Institute helped sponsor a beeping egg hunt in Huntington Beach alongside Kiwanis, City of Huntington Beach, and the Huntington Beach Fire Outreach Foundation. Children with visual impairments had the opportunity to enjoy a beeping egg hunt and visit various community partner stations.

For the grand event, hosts laid out eggs with beeping mechanisms inside and children were encouraged to hunt for the eggs by sound while orienting themselves within their surroundings. Afterwards, children visited the fire department’s sensory station to explore a fire engine and even try on equipment. Children and their families also stopped by our Child Development booth to discover braille books, tactile objects, and more.

Thank you to Kiwanis International, City of Huntington Beach - Government, and Huntington Beach Fire Outreach Foundation for this wonderfully inclusive event and allowing us to be a part of the day. We hope to do it again next year!



Slide 1: A young child holds a beeping egg up to his ear while others stand behind him in a grass field.

Slide 2: A young child holds half of an opened beeping egg while a woman stands next to him holding the other half of the beeping egg and a white cane.

Slide 3: A man, a fireman in uniform, and a young child with a white cane all touch a parked fire truck.

Slide 4: A young child touches tactile objects on top of a table.

Recently, our Youth students connected with nature on an Applied Skills Outing to the El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach. The goal of the trip was to learn more about the natural world in a tactile way while also working on two main Expanded Core Curriculum areas: Career Exploration and Orientation and Mobility. Katie, a naturalist at the El Dorado Nature Center, taught us about her career and guided us on a hike. She taught students how to use touch, smell, and sound to help understand their surroundings. Students even got to feel coyote fur, a coyote skull, hawk feathers, and various plant life. We also met—and pet—Ozzie the bearded dragon and learned more about reptiles. After the tour, students enjoyed a relaxing group lunch in the park—a perfect way to end a busy day of exploring!

Thank you so much to Katie and the staff at the El Dorado Nature Center for providing such a memorable and educational experience for our students!

Long Beach Parks, Recreation & Marine

Did you know that our library has a wide selection of young adult and children’s books? We proudly serve blind and visually impaired patrons of all ages with our collection of braille and audio books. Find classics and new favorites alike—our library has it all!

Join us in celebrating Library Month and help us continue to serve our patrons by donating today. https://bit.ly/3ZGZpFc

Image Description: A young child wearing glasses reads a colorful picture book with her parents and a Child Development consultant. She sits between her mother and father, who is just out of frame. There is a fluffy stuffed animal on the table next to her book.

Celebrate Library Month with your young children or students with our curated book list. Our Child Development team put together a list of book recommendations for children ages 0-6, all available on Amazon. From high contrast designs to tactile elements, these books are perfect for young children with visual impairments. Swipe through or keep reading for just a few of our recommendations. You can find the full list here https://amzn.to/3Kjwgvw

Tell us in the comments—what are your children’s book recommendations?

Slide 1: A young child sitting at a table, reading an open book and playing with a yellow and black toy dump truck. An ink blue banner runs across the bottom of the image, with white text that says "Child Development Book Recommendations."

Slide 2: The black and white cover of Hello, Baby Animals by duopress labs, illustrated by Julissa Mora. The cover features a smiling zebra, small birds, a butterfly, a bee, and flowers. White text on a dark ink blue background says "A lovable high contrast book for young eyes!"

Slide 3: The cover of See, Touch, Feel by Roger Priddy. The cover includes the Priddy Books logo at the top, the title in bold, multicolored letters, and a small child’s handprints in bright, mixed colors of paint. At the bottom of the cover is the subtitle “A first sensory book to share with your baby.” White text on a dark ink blue background says "An interactive, tactile book for babies."

Slide 4: The cover of My First Busy Book by Eric Carle. The cover features the title, The World of Eric Carle logo, a dog running along grass toward a bird with a worm below a tall flower, butterflies and bees, and a large sun with iridescent yellow and orange rays and a mirror at the center. White text on a dark ink blue background says "Full of bright colors and unique textures for little hands to explore."

Slide 5: The cover of Never Touch a Porcupine! by Rosie Greening and illustrated by Stuart Lynch. It features a cartoon porcupine with a body made up of yellow, 3D bristles. A squirrel sits upon the colorful title, dropping an acorn on the unsuspecting porcupine’s head. White text on a dark ink blue background says "Learn all about different animals and textures in this rhyming book."

April is Library Month here at Braille Institute! We’re so excited to celebrate the essential role of libraries in education, connection, and growth.

Did you know that our catalog contains a wide selection of children’s and young adult books? Find old and new favorites alike in braille and downloadable talking book editions.

Learn more about our library services and becoming a patron here https://bit.ly/3ZteGcz

Tell us in the comments—what have you been reading lately?

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled American Library Association

Coachella Valley-Riverside Youth students are diving into career education and exciting science experiments! Students followed a 4-step roadmap that included wants, needs, and goals, then brainstormed with peers to come up with careers that fit all three. A volunteer also taught us about physics and careers in the field. As part of their science education, students learned how to make a non-Newtonian fluid called Oobleck—a mixture of cornstarch and water. (The name of the mixture actually comes from a Dr. Seuss book!)

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Slide 1: Two Youth students at a table covered in a blue plastic tablecloth, making Oobleck with water and cornstarch. The first student is feeling the cornstarch mixture on the table; the second student stands with her hand in a teal mixing bowl full of Oobleck. There is cornstarch all over the table, on a paper towel and the open jar of cornstarch on a paper towel to the side.

Slide 2: A Braille Youth student standing at a table covered with a plastic blue table cloth. She is playing with Oobleck, a mixture of water and cornstarch, pulling it out of a mixing bowl.

This month, we’re excited to highlight Anaheim Youth Program superstar Marisol! She is a member of our Student Advisory Committee, the Braille Team. Her strong leadership skills help create a more relatable Youth Program curriculum that is applicable for all our students. Amazing work, Marisol—we appreciate your leadership!

Image Description: Marisol stands facing a dryer, where she adjusts the temperature k**b. She is wearing glasses and a purple shirt. At the bottom of the image is white Atkinson Hyperlegible text on an ink blue background that says "Student Highlight: Marisol."

On March 15, some of our Youth students and staff members enjoyed a lovely evening at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, where they experienced a live stage production of Mozart’s famous singspiel opera, “The Magic Flute.” Youth students were treated to a red carpet entrance and popcorn snacks, and were given listening devices to enjoy a live, audio-described version of the show.

We want to give a special thank you to the Pacific Opera Project for providing this amazing opportunity and creating such an interactive and inclusive experience for our students.

Founded in 2011, the Pacific Opera Project (POP) is dedicated to providing quality opera that is accessible, affordable, and entertaining. We’re grateful to collaborate with an organization that goes above and beyond to provide an inclusive experience for all audiences. Thank you for bringing the magic of Mozart to our students!

Pacific Opera Project

Image Description:

1: Braille Institute Youth staff and students stand together, smiling, on the red carpet. Behind them is a backdrop patterned with the Pacific Opera Project logo.

2: Braille Institute Youth students Colton S., Everardo M., and Danielle B. stand on the red carpet with their white canes. Behind them is a backdrop patterned with the Pacific Opera Project logo.

3: Pacific Opera Project performers on stage dressed as Nintendo characters, such as Mario, Luigi, Toad, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Link, and others. In the background on the stage is a pixel illustration of a castle and the words "We thank you for coming, we hope you had fun!!!" against a blue sky with clouds.