WHAT: Grand Opening of Miami Lighthouse Academy Classrooms for visually impaired Kindergarten, First and Second Grade students.
WHEN: Friday, August 13, 2021 at 9:00 A.M.
WHERE: Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
601 Southwest 8th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33130
DETAILS: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, elected officials, civic leaders and donors will gather to celebrate the Miami Lighthouse Academy Classroom Expansion. Originally a 900 square-foot bungalow house in the 1930’s, Miami Lighthouse’s facility will now encompass over 150,000 square-feet of space dedicated to education, training, research and vision enhancement for the blind and visually impaired from babies to seniors. The expansion campaign was made possible by private donations in response to two challenge grants from local philanthropists. Additionally, the project was made possible by the investment of Northern Trust New Market Tax Credits and Enterprise Community Investment Inc. Tours of the new Miami Lighthouse Academy will be conducted immediately after the ceremony.
“The collaboration of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Wolfberg Alvarez & Partners architects and Miller Construction Company, who are sponsoring the event along with Starbucks, and the timely assistance of the City of Miami assured that a temporary certificate of occupancy would be granted prior to the fall semester so that visually impaired students enrolled in the Miami Lighthouse Academy will be able to move into their new classrooms on August 23rd,” said President and Founder Virginia A. Jacko.
Miami Lighthouse Academy LLC offers a nationally recognized inclusive classroom early learning environment for students in pre-kindergarten, half with and half without vision impairment. The new specialized classrooms specific for visually impaired Kindergarten, First and Second grade students includes learning from both a licensed classroom teacher and a licensed teacher of the visually impaired.
For nearly a century, Miami Lighthouse for the Blind has been working to build a more inclusive society for the blind and visually impaired. Our innovative programming removes barriers to education, jobs and critical eye care and unlocks the power of the internet and technology. No one’s potential should be defined by ability, age, zip code, income, race or ethnicity. Our program offerings reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and their unique needs. Approximately 90% of the constituents we serve are low income from underserved populations.
