Braille Challenge Regional Preliminary Events

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The following is a list of regional events being hosted throughout the United States and Canada this winter. Teachers, please contact the coordinator nearest you to register your student for a Regional Challenge Contest. Students attending a Regional Event must be registered with Braille Institute by the Regional Coordinator of the host agency. If you are interested in hosting a regional Preliminary Round event at your school or agency, contact Christine Pak toll-free at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 1321.

2012 Regional Event Schedule

Updated 11/10/11

Alaska Regional
Anchorage School District Education Center
Anchorage, Alaska
February 17, 2012
Contact: Jacinda Danner
(907) 861-5574

Alberta, Canada Regional           

Alberta Society for the Visually Impaired         
Calgary, Alberta, CANADA  

February 8, 2012           
Contact: Char Hoyem
char.asvicalgary@gmail.com
(403) 234-0293  

Arizona Regional
Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
Tucson, AZ
February 20, 2012
Contact: Deborah Hartz
DEBORAH.HARTZ@asdb.az.gov
(520) 770-3437    



Arkansas Regional            

Arkansas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Little Rock, Arkansas        

February 16, 2012           

Contact: Lori Cole

lcole@asb.k12.ar.us
ldcole73@aol.com
(501) 296-1810 

(501) 425-0649 Cell          



California Regionals
          


Southern California 


Braille Institute Orange County Center         

Anaheim, California

February 4, 2012           

Contact: Stevie McBride
slmcbride@brailleinstitute.org
(714) 821-5000, Ext. 1232         



Northern California          
Hosted by Vista Center for the Blind
In collaboration with LightHouse for the Blind and Sacramento Society for the Blind
Santa Clara Valley Blind Center

San Jose, California            

March 3, 2012          
Contact: Alice McGrath    
amcgrath@vistacenter.org  
(650) 858-0202, Ext. 130

Colorado Regional         
Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
Colorado Springs, Colorado          
Event will be held February 23, 2012 instead of Feb. 3 due to snow      

Contact: Bertha Guerrero

bguerrero@csdb.org
(719) 578-2204



Florida Regionals 

South Florida      
Wingate Oaks Center         

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

February 24, 2012 

Contact: Sue Glaser

floridabraillechallenge@gmail.com

(813) 695-8193                   

West Florida        

Lions Eye Institute Foundation

Tampa, Florida          

March 2, 2012          

Contact: Sue Glaser 


floridabraillechallenge@gmail.com

(813) 695-8193



North Florida        
Florida State University           
Tallahassee, Florida  

January 20, 2012

Contact: Sue Glaser

floridabraillechallenge@gmail.com

(813) 695-8193

East Florida        
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church            

Orlando, Florida  

February 2, 2012

Contact: Sue Glaser

floridabraillechallenge@gmail.com

(813) 695-8193                   

Georgia Regional       
  

Sponsored by Georgia Academy for the Blind and The Atlanta Braille Volunteers

Macon, Georgia
January 26, 2012

Contact: Chris Davis
chdavis@doe.k12.ga.us

(478) 751-4592                  

Idaho Regional
Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind 

Co-Sponsored by IESDB-Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind and Idaho School for the Deaf and Blind    

Gooding, Idaho                   

February 4, 2012 

Contact: Jan Zollinger 

jan.zollinger@isdb.idaho.gov
(208) 934-4457

Illinois Regional
Illinois School for the Visually Impaired
Jacksonville, IL
February 24, 2012
Contact:  Darla Chambers
darla.chambers@illinois.gov
(217) 479-4436

Indiana Regional          

Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired 

Indianapolis, Indiana    

February 18, 2012    

Snow Date: February 25, 2012

Contact: Toni Hughes    

thughes@isbvik12.org

(317) 253-1481, Ext. 221
          


Kansas Regional

Kansas State School for the Blind

Kansas City, Kansas
February 22, 2012

Contact: Helen and Steve Hahn 

shahn@kssdb.org
(913) 558-2115

Kentucky Regional

American Printing House for the Blind
Louisville, Kentucky

February 16, 2012 

Snow Date: February 23, 2012

Contact: Janie Blome

jblome@aph.org

(502) 899-2367
or

Jane Thompson

jthompson@aph.org

(502) 899-2370    

Louisiana Regional
Louisiana School for the Visually Impaired
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
February 9, 2012

Contact: Pat Geiss

pgeiss@lsvi.org
(225) 757-3475             

Maryland Regional

Maryland School for the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland
February 11, 2012

Snow Date: February 18, 2012

Contact: Lisa Wright

lwright@msde.state.md.us
(410) 767-0812

Michigan Regional
Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Grand Rapids, Michigan
February 18, 2012
Snow Date: February 25, 2012
Contact: Charis Austin
caustin@abvimichigan.org
(616) 458-1187
(800) 466-8084

Missouri Regionals

St. Louis

Missouri School for the Blind
St. Louis, Missouri
February 16, 2012

Contact: Chris Klevorn 

cklevorn@msb.k12.mo.us

(314) 776-4320, Ext. 2330



Springfield

Missouri State University

Marshfield, Missouri

February 25, 2012
Snow Date: March 3, 2012

Contact: Patty Guzman

Guzman1166@missouristate.edu
patricia.guzman@marshfieldbluejays.org

(417) 859-2120, Ext. 2468

(417) 830-4573 Cell        



Nebraska Regional


Nebraska Center for the Education of Children Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired

Nebraska City, Nebraska

February 29, 2012

Contact: Tanya Hilligoss
thilligoss@esu4.net

(402) 873-5513



New Jersey Regional

New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Tom Rivers, New Jersey
January 28, 2012
Snow Date: February 4, 2012

Contact: Sharon Wnorowski 


sharon.wnorowski@dhs.state.nj.us  
 
(732) 255-0931



New York Regionals

Long Island

East Meadow School District 

Westbury, New York

February 4, 2012 

Snow Date: February 11, 2012

Contact: Petra Schimmel-Tarrant
pschimme@eastmeadow.k12.ny.us
(516) 876-7477

Upstate New York

NYS School for the Blind

Batavia, New York
February 11, 2012

Snow Date: February 25, 2012

Contact: Michelle Campbell

mruble@mail.nysed.gov
(585) 343-5384, Ext. 233 or 230



North Carolina Regionals



North Carolina Regional Braille Challenge

Governor Morehead School for the Blind Outreach

Raleigh, North Carolina

February 16, 2012
Snow Date: Febraury 23, 2012

Contact: Debbie Jackson

dcj1115@bellsouth.net

(919) 219-2677 Cell

or

William Tubilleja

william.tubilleja@dpi.nc.gov
(919) 715-4342



Western North Carolina


Catawba Rosenwald Educational Center

Catawba, North Carolina
February 17, 2012 

Contact: Angela Coulter Biggerstaff

angela_coulter@catawba.k12.nc.us
(828) 241-2754
(704) 473-9759 Cell



New England Regional


The Carroll Center for the Blind

Newton, Massachusetts

March 3, 2012
Contact: Eileen Curran

eileen.curran@carroll.org

(617) 969-6200, Ext. 237
or

Sue Malone 

sue.malone@carroll.org              

Oklahoma Regional

Oklahoma School for the Blind

Muskogee, Oklahoma

March 9, 2012

Contact: Faye Miller

fmiller@osb.k12.ok.us

(918) 781-8200

South Carolina Regional

Sponsored by South Carolina Regional Braille Challenge Consortium

Talking Book Services Facility 

Columbia, South Carolina    

February 2, 2012    
Contact: Kathryn Ouzts    

kathryn_ouzts@charleston.k12.sc.us    
(843) 345-5787
or

Laura Green       
(843) 937-6568



Tennessee Regional

Tennessee School for the Blind

Nashville, Tennessee

February 23, 2012
Snow Date: March 1, 2012

Contact: Julia Hedrick

Julia.Hedrick@tnschoolfortheblind.org

jdhedrick@comcast.net
(615) 231-7300

(615) 957-3253 Cell



Texas Regional

Region 13 Education Service Center

Austin, Texas

February 27, 2012
Contact: Jayme Wratchford

jayme.wratchford@esc13.txed.net

(512) 919-5170



Utah Regional

Utah Foundation for the Blind

Riverton, Utah
March 3, 2012

Contact: Merrilee Petersen

rmpet@comcast.net
(801) 298-1064



Washington State Regional                   

WA State School for the Blind

Vancouver, Washington

February 25, 2011
Contact: Wayne Oshiro 

wayne.oshiro@wssb.wa.gov

(360) 696-6321, Ext. 121

West Virginia Regional

West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind

Romney, West Virginia

March 16, 2012

Contact: Sheila Amato    

brltrans@frontier.com
(516) 457-1990
(304) 789-5555

Wisconsin Regional

Wisconsin Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
Janesville, Wisconsin

February 9, 2012 

Snow Date: March 1, 2012

Contact: David Hyde    

david.hyde@wcbvi.k12.wi.us
(608) 758-6152


Regional Coordinators, please fill out the form below to order your regional contests:

Preliminary Contest Request Form for Regional Events

If you have any problems submitting the online contest request form, please call Braille Institute at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553) or Christine Pak at 323-663-1111, Ext. 1321.

Completing the Registration Log (MS Word document)—All students taking the Challenge contests at a regional event must be listed in your registration log, with all contact information completed. Download and print out this form on our Challenge Resources page. Please e-mail your completed log to Christine Pak at cgpak@brailleinstitute.org no later than one working day following your event.

All students and their teachers are notified in May of their eligibility for the Finals. Finalists received detailed instructions regarding their participation in the The Braille Challenge Finals held annually in Los Angeles each June.

Regional coordinators, to request a customized permission form, promotional postcard or customized artwork for T-shirts and more, please contact Alison Dirstine at 1-800-BRAILLE (272-4553), Ext. 3177, or adirstine@brailleinstitute.org.