The Oklahoma School for the Blind

Oklahoma Close Up is a non-profit organization modeled after the Washington, D.C. based program.

• At Oklahoma Close Up, students from across the state gather together at the capitol, spending three days in February exploring current events and how Oklahoma's government impacts their lives.
• Mock legislation are held, taking place over several days and include writing a bill, debating, committee hearings, and voting.
• The program concludes at the State Capitol with several speakers and a small group session.

Steve Janger of Tulsa, Oklahoma founded the Washington Close Up program in 1971. His goal was to involve all students in the democratic process.

• Students and educators from across the U.S. come together to experience Washington D.C. through this program.
• They spent a week in our nation’s capital learning about government first hand and visiting buildings, monuments, and historical landmarks that are working symbols of the democratic promise.
• Students have to study them and look at their meaning to figure out what all the quotes mean.
• Then, as a group, they discuss what the views of the peoples’ quotes stand for.
• Finally they discuss whether they agree with them. If they do not agree with them, they have to explain why they don’t agree. The students also hold debates on various bills and laws and many other issues our government focuses on every day.
• They participate in mock elections and workshops.

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high school and colleges around the globe.

• DECA enhances the co-curricular education of members through a comprehensive learning program that integrates into classroom instruction, applies learning, connects to business and promotes competition.
• DECA’s activities assist in the development of academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders.
• DECA Inc. is a not-for-profit student organization with more than 200,000 members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, China, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
• OSB DECA provides training opportunities on campus for students such as the Panther's Den and vending machines.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for students previously or currently enrolled in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) education.

• FCCLA provides members with an opportunity to develop goal setting, decision making, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills, all of which are fundamental in one's home or workplace.
• Oklahoma School for the Blind FCCLA members may participate in local, district, and state activities.
• These include but are not limited to member meetings, service learning projects, and competitive events.

SCIVIS – Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students.

• “Space Camp” (SCIVIS) is usually held in September and focuses on STEM activities where the participants are engaged in complex simulated space missions, engineering design, and astronaut training exercises.
• The campers also go through intense ropes courses, exciting team building activities, and advanced students have the opportunity to SCUBA and experience the weightlessness of space.
• The Space Camp administration is extremely supportive of the program and many counselors say this is their favorite week and a few even come back just for SCIVIS.
• They also bring in a panel of blind and visually impaired employees from NASA to talk about their jobs.

Teens for Christ” is a Christian oriented group activity which meets on Tuesday mornings in the auditorium at 7:30 AM.

• Students and Sponsor sings a few worship chorus and have a time of devotion from the Bible.
• Also, we have a few evening events throughout the school year.