Visually impaired teen thanks Elgin Lions for help in Grand Canyon adventure
At the May meeting, the Elgin Lions Club was pleased to have Franklin Aguilar speak about his upcoming adventure. He thanked the club for supporting him in a program for visually impaired young people being provided in celebration of the National Park Service's birthday. He was accompanied by his mother, Marta; Lisa Sherer, his teacher at Elgin High School; and Patricia Kenyon, head nurse at Elgin High School.
According to No Barriers USA, a group of 22 teenagers from across the country were selected to receive scholarships for a once-in-a-lifetime leadership adventure, in honor of the National Park Service's 100th birthday. The Grand Canyon Sound Academy adventure pairs 12 students who are visually impaired and 12 students who are sighted to journey into the heart of the Grand Canyon to conduct sound experiments, build community, practice camping and hiking sills, engage with Parks staff and volunteers, conduct service projects, and learn methods to conduct natural sound research. While rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, students will gather information as part of a team and then return to share their knowledge with their local communities.
The National Park Service partnered with No Barriers Youth Organization which is part of the broader nonprofit organization No Barriers USA, which was developed in partnership with world-renowned blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer. Members from these groups, river guides, scientists, National Park Service staff and facilitators all partner with the students to conduct experiments and promote an appreciation of natural and cultural soundscapes. To learn more about the No Barrier program, visit www.nobarriersusa.org. Or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Franklin Aguilar, a sophomore at Elgin High School, has been accepted into the program after a rigorous application process and will leave on July 14 for the two-week expedition. He now participates in monthly conference calls with the team in preparation for the trip. While a scholarship for the main part of the program has been generously given to all students through a grant from the National Park Service through their Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, students must still pay for their airfare to Arizona, their equipment and a $510 fee to the No Barriers program. Additionally, Franklin must prepare through research assignments prior to each conference call. Franklin is excited to go on this adventure.
To learn more about the Elgin Lions Club, visit www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/elginil/. The club hosts food collection drives and helps Elgin Area School District U-46 students who can't afford glasses. The club recently hosted the Lions Raceway Woods 5K Run and Walk with the Dundee Township Lions Club. It also hosted a charity poker tournament and annual Rose Day sales.