Transitions Clients Build Confidence and Learn to Appreciate their Unique Value

By Sights for Hope Team |
A group of teens and pre-teens wearing orange helmets and harnesses stand side by side, smiling. They are on a zip-lining adventure, exuding excitement and teamwork.

Teens and pre-teens in Sights for Hope’s Transitions program gained self-confidence recently through outdoor activities and were motivated by a national advocate for youth who live with visual impairments.

The Transitions clients met bestselling author Kristin Smedley – founder of the online Thriving Blind Academy – and her son, Mitchell, who is completely blind. During their presentation at Sights for Hope’s Lehigh Valley Services Center, Kristin and Mitchell promoted ideas that are as important to people with sight as they are for the clients – including advocating for what one wants out of life, not taking no for an answer automatically, creating unique solutions for one’s needs, being confident in the unique value that one brings to the world, and making sure that others understand that value.

Two people sit at a table in a room, one in a gray shirt and one in a white blouse. A Sights for Hope banner and a U.S. flag are in the background.
A Transitions program client wearing a helmet and harness navigates a rope bridge in an adventure park. Background features lush green trees, conveying excitement and focus.
A Transitions program client in an orange helmet and safety harness rides a zip line through a lush, green forest. The scene conveys adventure and exhilaration.

For example, the Transitions clients were encouraged to take an active role in designing their learning plans in school and to take full advantage of their unique talents in the workplace.

After meeting the Smedleys, the Transitions clients visited Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton, PA, where they applied some lessons learned through wall climbing, crossing rope bridges, and zip lining.

The Transitions program teaches life skills for college and careers. Nearly all the participants are alumni of Sights for Hope’s Camp I CAN! summer program for kids.

Sights for Hope empowers people to overcome the challenges of vision loss and promotes healthy eyesight throughout Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley and Monroe County. Sights for Hope educates people with limited or no vision about adaptive skills, improves their access to essential services, boosts their confidence and emotional well-being, and helps them obtain assistive devices. Sights for Hope also connects pre-kindergarten children to eye care and teaches people how to keep their eyes strong and safe. Founded in 1928, Sights for Hope is a member of the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind (PAB) and the national VisionServe Alliance.

Main Image: A group of teens and pre-teens wearing orange helmets and harnesses stand side by side, smiling. They are on a zip-lining adventure, exuding excitement and teamwork.