ABOUT THE PROJECT
Our 2021 summer classes occurred every Saturday of July, and were open to children ages 6-12. These classes were friendly to individuals with varying degrees of vision loss. Each day of the online camp was focused on a social icebreaker to build an online community, two main activities, and an entertaining closing ceremony. Eye Matter recognized that for many visually impaired individuals, travelling outside to a multitude of stores to shop for the materials for the multi-sensory activities would be impractical and inconvenient. Therefore, all the materials for the lessons were shipped out to the students free of charge. Over the course of five weeks, Eye Matter focused on creating a supportive community and fostering a sense of belonging, all while combating ableism within the arts.
OUR SPONSERS
We here at Eye Matter are incredibly thankful to both the Anekant Community Center and the Sarva Mangal Trust for funding this multi-sensory camp. With their funding and support, we were able to purchase all materials for the activities and ship them out individually to every participant free of charge. The entertaining atmosphere fueled by the material centered activities would not have been possible without their support. Witnessing the smiles and proud faces after conducting each activity was truly heartwarming. Eye Matter truly was able to form an online community: the weight of every individual’s visual hardships supported by a sense of belonging and community. Our partnership with the Anekant Community Center and Sarva Mangal Trust served as a catalyst for the abundance of joy created in each session.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM CAMP
TESTIMONIALS
“The camp was wonderful and well worth it. My daughter highly enjoyed it and all activities. Each of the instructors brought out the best in students. The showcase of students working on their activities increased my daughters self confidence. Thank you so much for doing this camp.”
Finksburg, Maryland
“Nate & I really enjoyed time together completing each weekly art project. Nate usually isn’t interested or motivated in participating in online Zoom activities. To my surprise, he stayed focused & participated in all 5 sessions. He eagerly showed each week’s art project to friends & family. By having the art camp online on Zoom, children from across the country are able to participate in fun & engaging art projects. Without the online Zoom experience, some of the children would have missed out on the fun, creativity, self confidence building & making new friends across the country. My son & I hope that great thought & consideration is put into holding another online art camp next year. We had FUN!!!”
Denver, Colorado
“This class was SO much fun. We enjoyed being able to meet via Zoom, which allows family members to assist the student when needed, as well as sit back and enjoy watching them grow with new experiences, all while maintaining their health needs. We also liked hearing where others are from, which expands their world and friendships. This is a wonderful opportunity and we hope Eye-Matter is able to continue offering more virtual classes like this in the future. We are so happy we heard about this opportunity. Thank you. 🙂 On a side note: The whole family enjoyed the music and dancing. Great song choices and the visuals helped those of us who are less creative with spontaneous dance moves. I love the “safe” space. :-D”
Westminster, California
“We loved this class! If was so well organized and thought out. I appreciate that both audio and visual instructions were provided. Thank you for such a fun experience! Anaya felt accomplished to have braided something.”
Mount Vernon, New York
“My son loved it so much. He enjoyed everyone and has learned so much. The team would explain the directions slowly to the kids step by step so everyone could catch up. Thank you for giving an amazing summer camp and can’t wait for my son to participate in any future ones available.”
Anna, Texas