The Foundation sponsors a number of other programs and projects designed to aid in the intellectual and social development of blind and visually impaired children.
The success of blind and visually impaired children is highly dependent upon the support they receive from adults, especially parents or guardians and the educators who work with these children on a daily basis.
In recognition of that role, the Foundation offers to partner with parents and educators by providing grants to enable them to pursue continuing education, development of skills and understanding of technology. These grants can take the form of tuition reimbursements, payment for the costs of distance education, continuing education or conferences, or payment for the costs of technology training or education.
The Foundation is always open to suggestions of other ways that it can assist parents or educators in obtaining the skills necessary to help their blind or visually impaired students. The Foundation has no specific application process for parent and educator grants. If you are interested in pursuing a parent or educator grant, please contact us and we will be happy to pursue it with you.
We provide Janice Anderson Memorial Scholarship grants annually to blind or visually impaired high school seniors who want to pursue post-secondary education. Grant amounts range from $500 to $1000, depending upon the number of qualified applicants. If you wish to apply for a Janice Anderson Memorial Scholarship, please download a copy of the scholarship application guidelines, complete a scholarship application letter and submit it to the Foundation by mail or e-mail.
The 2022 Janice Anderson Memorial scholarship winners were Camille O’Neill and Lynn Brayman. Congratulations! The 2023 scholarship application deadline is May 31, 2023.
Beginning in 2023, the Foundation is sponsoring an annual Dr. Benton and Harriet Kutler Outstanding Vision Teacher Award. The award will include a grant to the recipient of $10,000, as well as a commemorative plaque presented to the recipient at a school-based ceremony.
The initial award will be given in the May 2023 to a Nebraska teacher of the visually impaired (“TVI”) selected by the NFVIC Board of Directors from TVI’s nominated before the April 30, 2023 nomination deadline. The award recognizes outstanding contributions by a Nebraska TVI as a teacher of and mentor to her or his students.
TVI’s may be nominated by students, colleagues or parents or guardians of visually impaired children. Nominations can be made by a letter submitted to the NFVIC Board of Directors by April 30, 2023. Letters should include contact information for the writer, and describe the writer’s relationship to the TVI, personal experiences with or anecdotes about the TVI and the TVI’s strengths in working with those who are visually impaired. Letters should be submitted to NFVIC by mail or e-mail. NFVIC will acknowledge your letter upon receipt.
The Dr. Benton and Harriet Kutler Outstanding Vision Teacher Award is being established in memory of Dr. Benton Kutler and Harriet Kutler by their son, Howard Kutler, who is an NFVIC board member. Dr. Kutler was a long-time member of the NFVIC Board of Directors, and he and Harriet were staunch supporters of NFVIC’s mission and other initiatives designed to benefit blind and visually impaired children.
If you have questions regarding the Kutler Outstanding Vision Teacher Award and the nomination process, please contact us .
We regularly provide financial and other support to other organizations engaged in activities that benefit blind or visually impaired Nebraska children. For example, we co-sponsor a number of projects with the Lied Learning and Technology Center for Childhood Deafness and Vision Disorders at the Boys Town National Research Hospital in Omaha, including the annual Beeping Easter Egg Hunt and CampAbilities. We also have provided financial support of the annual Braille Challenge sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Education of Children who are Blind or Visually Impaired. And we regularly help parent advocacy groups sponsor events that benefit blind or visually impaired children. If you have an event that might benefit from our support, please contact us to discuss how me might help you.