Forwarding this on behalf of Vision Aid. I highly recommend applying if interested.
An Exciting Program from Vision-Aid Computer Programming Classes for the Visually Disadvantaged Applications for Fall Semester 2017 Open. Limited Enrolment. Apply soon! Overview Are you a visually impaired person who wants to learn computer programming? Vision-Aid is back with an exciting program to teach Python programming. After successfully completing a pilot for teaching computer programming for the visually impaired in 2016, and a follow on course in spring 2017, we are thrilled to offer an even more comprehensive program in the fall semester of 2017. Schedule The fall session class begins on September 4, 2017 and ends on Dec 17, 2017. The course will run for around 3.5 months, but can be completed in 3 months by students who wish to accelerate the course and put in the required extra effort. Opportunity to participate in Hackathon at IIT Students who successfully complete the course will be invited to attend a hackathon for the visually impaired at the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai in January 2018. All travel and lodging expenses for the conference will be borne by IIT and Vision-Aid. Financial Aid for MIT/Stanford Online Courses For students successfully completing this program, Vision-Aid will offer scholarships and mentorship, to pursue advanced programming courses from MIT(Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Stanford University in the US via the edX and Coursera platforms. (Note: 4 prior students have successfully obtained MIT certificates via this program). About the Course The course is taught entirely online over SKYPE. During this program, the students will be introduced to computer science and programming concepts using Python, one of the most popular languages for getting started with computer programming. Vision-Aid program will use material given to us by MIT Boston and other leading universities in USA. Students in this Vision-Aid program will learn from the experts in the field using the best online learning resources. The classes will be offered over SKYPE. Each student will be paired with a teacher who will work with the student to guide them through the course material. The course will have a midterm and final exam. Students who complete the course will be awarded with a Vision-Aid certificate in Programming. Cost Vision-Aid is pleased to offer this course free of cost to the students. However, each admitted student will be expected to pay an advance deposit of Rs. 1,000 (One Thousand Rupees). If the student attends classes regularly and completes the entire course, the deposit will be fully refunded. The purpose of the deposit is to encourage students to stay committed to the course and complete it. There is no minimum passing grade required for the refund – we only expect regular and sincere participation to be eligible for the full refund. Admission Criteria No prior computer programming experience is necessary but some pre-requisites do apply. The application form will outline these pre-requisites. After receipt of your application, Vision-Aid will conduct an assessment and enroll qualified students. Time Commitment This course is an intense programming course. It will require a minimum of 10-15 hours of study and homework each week. Students who do not put in the required time and effort may find it difficult to complete the course and master the concepts. Regular attendance and time commitment are very important. A student should apply to the course only if they are sure they can invest the needed time. Once admitted a student MUST commit to attending all classes regularly without exception. Any student who misses more than 2 classes without prior written permission from the program coordinator will be automatically dropped from the course and asked to reapply to the next round of classes, and someone on the waitlist will be allocated their space. Why you should join? We believe in training the students so they can be lifelong learners, and reach their highest potential. We encourage and guide our students to participate in Hackathons such as the Shaastra<http://www.shaastra.org/>, IIT Madras Tech Festival in Chennai. (For a short film about the 2017 hackathon in IIT, please click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBOr7LNB2pY&lc=z13avzi4gmqgupjvw232sz2ofsvyftpd3&feature=em-comments How to apply Please fill out the form below Please note that the demand for the course in prior semesters has been strong and we have quickly filled up the course and reached wait list status. Admission of qualified students is on first come first serve basis. You are encouraged to apply early if you are really interested! Click the link below to apply: Student Application Form: https://tinyurl.com/zsj35th Application Deadline The applications are due by August 20th, 2017. The admission results will be announced by September 1 and classes will start by September 4, 2017 and will run through December 17, 2017. Call for Volunteer Teachers If you are an expert in Python programming and want to teach or assist in this existing program, please provide your details using the following link and we would love to talk to you. Teachers/volunteers form: https://tinyurl.com/h2lapwc Questions? If you have any additional questions on the program, please send us an email to pyt...@visionaid.org. 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