Excellence through Challenging Exploration and Leadership (EXCEL)

The EXcellence through Challenging Exploration and Leadership (EXCEL) program provides an employment experience like no other, combining NASA's ambitious mission of exploration with the successful mentoring and empowerment model demonstrated by the NFB.  

During this second-year program five interns were chosen from a nationwide search and assigned to a NASA center according to their iindividual interests.  The program began with a one-week training seminar at the NFB national headquarters after which the interns traveled to their worksites for the first four weeks of their internships.  The interns then traveled to Dallas, Texas, to attend the NFB National Convention, during which they served as NASA ambassadors and attended seminars and meetings to learn more about how to succeed in the workplace as a blind adult. After the convention, the interns returned to their NASA center for the remaining five weeks of their work experience. 

Both the 2005 and the 2006 EXCEL programs were successful, with the interns working well with their NASA supervisors.  The students lived independently and had an opportunity to sharpen their daily living skills while receiving support and mentoring from successful blind adults near their internship site.  To learn more about the program, click on one of the following links:

Blind JPL Intern Works on Mars-Bound Instrument
Blind Students Excel at NASA
One Intern's Experience   

If you have any questions about EXCEL or would like to be on our mailing list for the next program, please contact:
          
          Mary Jo Hartle, Director of Education
          Jernigan Institute
          National Federation of the Blind
          200 East Wells Street
                 At Jernigan Place
          Baltimore, MD 21230
          (410) 659-9314, ext. 2407