Seeing Eye Seminar for Youth (SESY)
2012 SESY Dates:
The Seeing Eye Seminar for Youth is designed to introduce teenagers, age 15 and older, to the mobility, companionship, and lifestyle of working with a Seeing Eye® dog.
Students will have the opportunity to experience the everyday handling and grooming that owning a dog entails, and even more importantly, feel how a dog actually guides them. The Seminar serves as a realistic introduction to life with a dog guide, while the hands-on component provides critical preparation for students considering the possibility of a future partnership with a Seeing Eye dog.
Orientation & Mobility Specialists, while serving as chaperones, will also find this a positive learning experience.
Past Seminars have met with great success, with students and professionals coming to Morristown, N.J., from across North America to take part in this unique and enlightening opportunity. A student from Wisconsin, who participated in a past Seeing Eye Seminar for Youth, said she found the experience gave her important insight for the possibility of owning a dog in the future. After completion of the seminar, she stated, “I was very happy, and that experience helped me to decide that I really wanted to get a Seeing Eye dog. The people [from the Seeing Eye] treat you with respect and their instructors work one-on-one with you.” Through hands-on experience and discussion, students gain insight about the instructional program as well as some critical details about this unique and special relationship.
We expect those individuals hoping to attend the Seminar have already secured a basic knowledge as to how dogs work, and how the guide dog travel compliments the skills and concepts being taught as part of the Orientation & Mobility curriculum. Our Seminar will expand this basic knowledge by providing hands-on experience. Working with a Seeing Eye dog, under the direct supervision of a professional Seeing Eye instructor, is certainly the highlight of the Seminar. Learning to manage, groom, and otherwise care for a dog is presented realistically by Seeing Eye staff, who have many years of personal experience as Seeing Eye graduates.
Eligibility Criteria
- Motivation: Students are expected to personally engage in all activities of the Seminar for Youth, and especially the application process. This includes the demonstration of good communication skills and the ability to follow instructions.
- Age: Applicant should be a teenager, 15 or older.
- Vision loss: Applicant should be severely visually impaired so as not to conflict with the dog’s work.
- Future goals: Applicant should have some ideas regarding his or her future as it might concern lifestyle and activity, which contribute directly to the successful use of a Seeing Eye dog.
- Health: Should be in generally good physical and mental health.
COST:
Expenses for students and O&M Specialists participating in the program, including roundtrip airfare to one of the nearby airports to The Seeing Eye, ground transportation in New Jersey, housing at a local Morristown hotel, and main meals during the Seminar are provided by The Seeing Eye.
The Seeing Eye is now seeking applications for future sessions. We look forward to welcoming a maximum of 6 visually impaired youths to participate in each Seminar. All application materials are provided electronically, and must be submitted as email attachments by the applicant. Applications for these programs, as well as general information, are available by contacting calling (800) 539-4425, or by email at sesy@seeingeye.org.
Thank you for your interest in the Seeing Eye Seminar for Youth (SESY)!