2022 NOPBC Youth Track Agenda
Live the Life You Want

Welcome to the 2022 NOPBC Youth Track!

We are so excited to be back together this year. We welcome you back to our in-person this year’s Youth Track. We hope you will find that these sessions will not only prepare you to live the life you want but that they also will be a place where you will meet new friends, become more confident and independent, and have a lot of fun. So, bring your cane, your positivity, and your open mind for a great Youth Track in New Orleans! Don’t have a cane? That’s okay – we will have a cane bank there for you to use for Youth Track sessions.

Sessions are open to all blind and low vision students, children of blind adults, and sighted siblings aged 11-18 unless stated differently in the description.

Day 1: Tuesday, July 2022

7:30 AM – 10:45 AM: Youth Track Registration Outside of NOPBC conference (Studio 2, on the second floor of the New Orleans Marriott)
9 - 10:30 AM: NOPBC Seminar — Sharing Our Core Values: Creating Opportunities; Raising Expectations – Studio 2
Opportunity to speak with NFB President Mark Riccobono at Kid and Youth Talk, and hear from college students who have attended NFB Training Centers.
10:45 AM – Noon: Ice Breakers and Introductions – Balcony L (on the fourth floor of the New Orleans Marriott)

Let the games begin. In this first session, we will see old friends, and discover new ones. If this is your first time, or you are a little bit shy, no worries, everyone will have a perfect place in our introduction session. Learn what happens each day, and get your questions answered so you can make this convention your best ever. In this session, you never know who you may meet. You may even win a door prize.
1:30 PM – 3:30 PM: STEAM Power! Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)

Flex your creativity muscle, and try your hand in creative science experiments, demonstrate your artistic genius, and take home some skills you can use in your classrooms next year.
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM: Games, Games, Games – Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)

Whether you like sports, board games, or gaming from your chair, we have something for everyone at Youth Track.

Day 2: Wednesday, July 6, 2022

8:45 AM – 10:30 AM AND 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM: Cane Walk, sessions 1 & 2– Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)

While the Cane Walk is not an "official" Youth Track event, it is a great experience!
Don’t have a cane yet? Come explore how a cane can give you more freedom. You can receive a free NFB white cane. Then take a walk with the world’s best cane training instructors. Come learn how awesome it feels to walk proud and free.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM: Resolutions Explained – Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)

What is a resolution, and how does the National Federation of the Blind use resolutions to make us stronger? We’ll explore the resolutions recommended by the National Federation of the Blind resolutions committee.

Day 3: Thursday, July 7, 2022

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Exhibit Hall Challenge – Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)

Join a team, gather information and tools, and win prizes as you explore the Exhibit Hall. Learn all the ways you can accomplish any task you choose in school and in work. When each team has completed its challenge, you will return to our youth track room, and submit your challenge card. Prizes will be awarded in our last session.

Day 4: Friday, July 8, 2022

7:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Wrapping it all up: – Balcony L (fourth floor of New Orleans Marriott)
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Philosophy: Healthy Boundaries and Mindfulness:
The surest path to confidence is to know our own minds. Come join us as we offer the opportunity for you to build your own healthy foundations in confidence.
8:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Unconventional Convention Scavenger Hunt:
There won’t be anything conventional about this Convention scavenger hunt! You will be working in teams to scour the hotel for the next clue that will lead you to the final destination! Prizes will be awarded from the Exhibit Hall Challenge.