Kansas State School for the Blind

THREE months out and counting! The 8th Annual KCBAS 5K Run & 1-Mile Walk is coming up fast — and we want YOU there on September 19, 2026.

This race is for everyone. Serious runners chasing a PR. Families making memories. Walkers taking it at their own pace. People of all abilities crossing the same finish line together.

That’s what the KCBAS 5K is all about.

Register now and use promo code 3TOGO for 30% off — valid through June 22nd at midnight only!

https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/KansasCity/TheKCBlindAllStarsFoundationrace

Or make a donation at: kcblindallstars.org

Use promo code 3TOGO for 30% off registration — expires June 22nd at midnight! Link in bio
to register or donate.




Slide 1 — Cover
A bold dark navy branded graphic. The word "THREE" appears in large gold text, followed by "Months Out and Counting! Here’s who belongs at our starting line" Event details for the 8th Annual KCBAS 5K Run 1-Mile Walk on September 19, 2026 are shown below along with the 2026 race logo.

Slide 2 — For Families
A smiling, bearded man walks forward through a large black ";START" archway with a young girl riding on his shoulders. Other family members walk behind them on the residential street course.

Slide 3 — For Walkers
Three women in matching grey KC Blind All-Stars bluebird t-shirts walk side-by-side down the course. The two on the outside use white canes, and the middle woman smiles warmly while holding hands with her companions.

Slide 4 — For Serious Runners
A bearded male runner smiles widely and extends his arms in celebration as he crosses the timing mats beneath a massive black "START" inflatable archway.

Slide 5 — For All Abilities
Three women cheer and celebrate under the "START/FINISH" archway. One navigates with a white cane, the center woman pumps her fist while using a wheeled walker, and the third woman claps excitedly.

Slide 6 — CTA
A bright blue branded graphic with gold and red accents. Text reads "3 months. 1 race. Countless reasons to join us." A dark box displays the promo code 3TOGO for 30% off, expiring June 22nd at midnight. Yellow and white buttons invite viewers to register or donate.

🌟 KSSB ESY Week 2 Recap: Learning, Exploring, and Thriving! 🌟

We’ve had another fantastic week at Extended School Year! Week two at the Kansas State School for the Blind has been full of energy as students dove deeper into their ECC domains, built on the routines they learned last week, and strengthened their connections with one another. From exciting community outings to great progress in the classrooms, our students are truly thriving! 🌍

Check out some of our amazing highlights from around campus this week:

Austria (Room 18): Explored a police patrol car, danced the Waltz, made tactile landscapes, and visited the park for ice cream! 🍦

The Netherlands (Room 19): Built models of windmills and tulips, and practiced money-budgeting skills by ordering classroom ice cream sundaes.

Ecuador (Rooms 22 & 27): Made rain sticks, designed flags and soccer jerseys, created a class waffle book, and beat the heat by swimming three times! ⚽️

Algeria (Room 24): Crafted clay World Cup trophies, cooked a delicious lunch, practiced O&M safety on a walk to a local bakery, and played a "guess-the-spice" game.

Curaçao (Room 31): Explored the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Area, went bird-watching for a rare South American bird in KC, and ran the "Corner Kick Cold Brew" coffee cart to practice employability skills! ☕️

Tunisia (Access Arts): Planted Mediterranean herb gardens, built "candy colosseums," learned about blind scientist Dr. Mona Minkara, and hiked to a waterfall at Parkville Nature Sanctuary using rural travel cane tips.

Argentina (Preschool): Tried out tango and salsa dancing, splashed in the pool, and created salt-dough and mud sensory nests inspired by the Rufous Hornero bird. 🐦

We are so proud of all the hard work, growth, and independence our students showed this week. Bring on Week 3! 💪🎉

Austria AKA Classroom 18 shows us how even our youngest KSEE students practice skills that are critical components of the Expanded Core Curriculum. From Activities of Daily Living, to Makerspace STEM/AT, to Recreation and Leisure... Classroom 18 is a true joy to have with us this summer!!

🎉 What an unforgettable day for our KS PREP students! 🚀

With their time at KSSB wrapping up this coming Thursday, our students had the incredible opportunity to visit and tour different components of the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department today.

A HUGE shout-out to our amazing SRO, Officer Mitchell, for putting this together and making it happen! 👮‍♂️✨

The day was packed with excitement, but two major highlights stole the show:
🛰️ Getting to watch a live drone fly right over the KSSB campus on the big screen—our students thought that was absolutely amazing!
🏎️ Taking a ride in a police Corvette, which was a massive hit with everyone! 🤩

We are so proud of our KS PREP students and the incredible growth they’ve shown. What a way to finish strong! 💛💙

Can Argentina really win the World Cup Again? If you ask our ESY Pre-K Class they would say YESSSSSS!!!

🧪 Day 6 of ESY was music to our ears! 🎶

Today, we had some very special guests from Mad Science of Greater Kansas City join us at KSSB! They put on an incredible presentation all about the science of sound. From vibrations to echoing experiments, our students had an absolute blast exploring how sound waves work through hands-on fun. You can check out more of their awesome programs at https://kansascity.madscience.org/! 💥

But the learning didn't stop there! Before and after the science excitement, our students dove right back into their Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) rotations. The energy was high all day, and it was wonderful to see how eager and excited the kids were to get back to their daily routines and peer collaborations.

We love days when big fun and big learning go hand-in-hand!

⚠️Scholarships still available for interested students from KC Blind All-Stars Foundation ⚠️

We are proud to offer scholarships to blind and low-vision students who are pursuing their dreams beyond the classroom. We believe that a visual impairment should never be the reason a student's education stops.🎓💙

The Gwendolyne Hawley Trust Scholarship Award Program and the Donald J. and Marcia Pickering Scholarship are designed to assist post-secondary Kansas students who are blind or visually impaired with their education.

Applications are due June 30th!

To learn more about the different scholarships, click the link below! If you have any further questions, email [email protected]

🔗https://www.kcblindallstars.org/scholarship-award-program/

📷 Image Description: A bright blue slide featuring two hanging graduation caps with red tassels. Bold text reads "SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS — Open Now!" Applications for the Gwendolyne Hawley Trust and Donald J. and Marcia Pickering Scholarships are due June 30th, 2026

Wowza... what a day at KSSB! 🚗💨✨

Today’s KS PREP Weekend Events were absolutely incredible, but two moments completely stole the show.

In our Driver’s Education session, we asked a big question: How do you teach a totally blind student what it takes to be a driver and the immense responsibility that comes with it?

You hand them the keys. 🔑🙌

Where else in Kansas does a totally blind student get to take a brand-new van out for a spin around a local high school parking lot? That’s US. That is the magic of KSSB and the KS PREP Program. Providing unmatched, real-world experiences that build true independence and understanding.

And the 2nd Moment that stole the show today!!!
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽ Meeting the England Players: Getting to rub shoulders with world-class athletes right before their big tournament! One player even signed a PREP's students Cane!! How cool is this??!!!!

Of course, the rest of the day was just as unforgettable:
🍳 Meal Preparation: Mastering kitchen independence and fueling up. Intro to the Air Fryer!
🚴 Bike Riding/Roller Skating: Crushing miles, getting exercise in, soaking up the fresh air.

What will tomorrow bring?! 🤔🔮
..Oh, right. Back to reality with that dreadful, mountain-sized laundry time. 🧺😅 But it's worth it for memories like these!

A huge THANK YOU Again to First State Bank at the Legends who followed up with a Popcorn delivery to the KS PREP students!!