This is a scholarship program designed to provide two students with visual impairment an opportunity to attend the SCIVIS Space Camp with a fully paid tuition.

1.  Students who are visually impaired may apply from the age of 12 to 18 years of age (Grades 7-12 at time of camp).  Students must provide documentation of current enrollment.  University students (post high school by US standards) are not eligible.  Students who are older than 18 who are enrolled in high school are eligible with proper documentation.  If younger students wish to attend this should not be their first trip away from home or their first camp experience.  

2.  Students must provide documentation from a medical doctor, preferably an optometrist or an ophthalmologist with the cause of the low vision and the current visual functioning, i.e., 20/100 acuity, 30-degree field of view, etc.  This report must be clearly legible and contain contact information for the medical professional so the report can be verified.  Please include an email address for the medical professional. 

3.  Only students from the United States and Canada are eligible.

4.  Students MUST have the ability to read, speak, and understand English.  Fluency is required! The need to quickly learn new technology will be required.  Large print materials and electronic magnification devices will be readily available.  

5.  Students should have an interest in math and science to participate in this program.  Future plans for a career in STEM related fields should be mentioned and are relevant to the application process.  Information about Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCIVIS) can be found at http://www.scivis.org.  Information about Space Camp®, in general, and can be found at http://www.spacecamp.com.

6.  All travel will be coordinated through a travel agency in the U. S.  Chaperones accompanying students may or may not be eligible for funding.  Chaperones cannot be parents and must be professional educators who have had a history working with the applicant and/or in the field of blindness and low vision.  Accompanying chaperones are not a requirement.

7.  Selection will take place after July 15, 2025 and applicants will be notified as soon as possible to allow ample time for travel arrangements to be confirmed.  

Space Camp Details:

Two students will be selected to attend SCIVIS Space camp 2025, one student in each program (Space Camp Academy and Space Camp Advanced Academy). Once the students are selected, the student’s parents will be responsible for on-line registration for their child. Tuition and airfare will be paid for by Eschenbach for the two students, each not to exceed $2,500 in expenses in total. All materials must be turned in by the deadline of July 15, 2025 to insure application consideration to the team.  

Teachers of the visually impaired will serve as chaperones for the trip. Parents of the students selected cannot be chaperones. Space Camp is an exciting learning experience, it is also physically and emotionally demanding of all children.  The schedule begins early in the morning (about 7 am) and ends late at night (about 9 or 10 PM or later).  Independence requiring daily living skills, i.e., bed making, hygiene, eating skills, etc., are a must.  Rooms are inspected daily and need to be kept clean and orderly. Please consider those qualifications before talking to your student about the week’s adventure.

 All students should bring their personal telescopes, magnifiers, and other low vision devices with them to Space Camp.  Large print literature is provided at Space Camp for the students to use on their mission as well. Screen enlargement software for Advanced Academy Mission Control is being provided by the West Virginia School for the Blind and the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.  SCUBA diving is available to those students in the Advanced Academy only.  Diving is contingent upon the diver’s health the day of the scheduled dive.  The medical staff at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center will determine this on the day of. 

Students who are applying to the Advanced Academy program should excel in their science and math classes and be strongly considering college as a post-graduate alternative.  Students can earn one college credit for completion of the Advanced Academy program for up to three years of attendance.  (Keyboarding skills are required for the Advanced Academy program.)

Please contact Dan Oates with any questions at 304-851-5680 or scivis.oates@gmail.com Please make note of the following number for registration questions, 800-63-SPACE (77233).