Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind Education Foundation

03/05/2025

03/05/2025

THANK YOU Meta Eagle Mountain Data Center for the generous support of the USDB Education Foundation!

We’re thrilled to announce Meta’s 2025 Data Center Community Action Grant recipients!

Through our Data Center Community Action Grants program, Meta provides funding for nonprofits and schools to support the long-term vitality of Utah County. We fund projects that address critical community needs by putting the power of technology to use for community benefit, giving people the power to build strong, sustainable communities, improving local science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education.

Alpine School District
Cedar Valley High School
Community Action Services and Food Bank
Desert Sky Elementary
Eagle Mountain Arts Alliance
Eagle Mountain Performing Arts Coalition
Ella Rises
Frontier Middle School
Hidden Hollow Elementary School
Provo Girls Summit
Just For Kids Of Utah County Inc
Oak Canyon Junior High
Saratoga Shores Elementary
Springville Museum of Art
Spy Hop
Thanksgiving Point
The Penny Project
The Sharing Place
Timpanogos High School
United Way of Utah County
Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, USDB
Utah STEM Action Center

Congratulations to the 2025 Eagle Mountain Data Center grants recipients, and a big thank you for your impactful work! Learn more about the grant recipients datacenters.atmeta.com//2025Recipients

01/29/2025

From a young age, Kelsey Kartchner, a 10th-grade student from SkyView High School, has faced life with resilience and determination. Living with a visual impairment, she was introduced to goalball by her Orientation and Mobility (O&M) instructor, when transitioning from a school for the blind to a public school. The sport became a way for her to connect with others and build friendships. Remarkably, Kelsey began playing goalball at just five years old, an unusually early age to start the sport.
Over time, goalball has become more than a pastime for Kelsey — it has become a passion. Her dedication and natural talent have propelled her to achieve remarkable milestones. She is currently one of the players from Utah who has been awarded the prestigious National All-American title, an honor given to only five female players nationwide. Additionally, her team has achieved an unprecedented feat for Utah—winning two gold medals in competitions.
For Kelsey, goalball is more than just a sport; it’s a source of joy, strength, and belonging. Reflecting on her journey, she shares, “Mindset is such a big thing as well as finding something that makes you happy.” Even when faced with medical challenges, she draws strength from her love for the sport and the friendships she’s built through it. “Finding something that makes you feel human,” she advises, is the key to overcoming life’s hurdles.

01/19/2025

Derek Brown is the Attorney General of the State of Utah. Previously, he served as a volunteer Board Chair of the USDB Education Foundation. Brown worked with and led the efforts of the foundation’s board during its critical formative years. We appreciate Derek Brown’s service and wish him the very best in his new, important role at the State of Utah. Here is a link to a recent news story about him in which his service to the USDB Education Foundation is mentioned at the end. https://app.criticalmention.com/app/ /view/8371a050-65c0-48a4-b076-1b91167bae0c?token=03bc39dd-ecb5-4084-88ea-beb725bd52e9

12/20/2024

Timber: Finding Joy with an Inclusive Doll
Timber, a kindergarten student born blind, was recently given an inclusive Barbie doll complete with a white cane to use during her orientation and mobility lessons. The Barbie doll is designed with tactile features, including a miniature white cane. Timber quickly took Barbie's tiny cane and began to teach the doll to sweep the cane right and left. What made this experience even more special was how Timber used the Barbie to practice essential orientation and mobility skills. Timber reinforced her own learning by teaching Barbie. See Full Story https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dWEOGG_tVDPQm5J2kfwxSm9pfH13c2fZei5slFE5F-w/edit =id.p