Earlier this month, Brenson Baker, a seventh-grade student at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, competed in the 2019 S.C. Regional Braille Challenge, held February 7.
On average, over 100 people (students, parents, and teachers) from across the Palmetto State attend the event. The Aiken County Public School District was well represented in the Apprentice/Novice Level Competition (one of 7 Levels) at this year’s challenge hosted at the South Carolina Commission for the Blind in Columbia.
Brenson won First Place as a participant competing against eleven other students from across the state. Participants in the Apprentice/Novice Level competed in the areas of Spelling, Reading Comprehension, and Proofreading.
The Braille Challenge has a tremendous impact on the lives of students with a visual impairment.
Based on Brenson’s specific skill sets, he has, for a fourth consecutive year, participated in a contest with others from across the state who also read and write braille. He has learned what it means to be determined as his increased preparation for competition and helped him win his level of competition. Skills in Braille Literacy Code (a six-dot configuration) take years to cultivate and then apply for reading, reading comprehension, spelling, and writing.
The S.C. Regional Braille Challenge is a preliminary contest for the National Braille Challenge offered by the Braille Institute in California. It is a two-stage contest designed to motivate blind students to emphasize their study of braille.
Any visually impaired student who reads braille is eligible to participate in the preliminary round of the contest as it is open to students of all skill levels. The top-scoring 60 contestants from across the nation are invited to Los Angeles, California, in June for the Final Round.
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LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2019 PR LMMS BRENSON BAKER WINS BRAILLE