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On June 26, 2008, the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children Board of Trustees approved the organization’s Five Year Strategic Plan for 2008- 2013. Thanks to the diligence of staff members and the contributions of various stakeholders, we are pleased to present this plan that will broaden our reach further into Western Pennsylvanian communities and strengthen our legacy of providing exceptional services to blind, multiply disabled children.
To view WPSBC’s Strategic Plan click here.
The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children, located in the heart of Oakland, Pennsylvania, is an educational facility committed to training visually impaired students with additional disabilities. Founded more than 100 years ago as a facility to provide the best education for boys and girls who were blind, the School has never wavered from this mandate.
As a private institution chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the School educates approximately 175 students annually from 242 school districts within western Pennsylvania. Students may enroll at age three and they can continue until 21.
The curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of life skills. Teachers and therapists collaborate on planning and implementing effective, individualized educational programs. Residential facilities are available for those students who live in outlying districts. Some pre-school age students have the single disability of blindness and their early training will prepare them for eventually completing their education in a public school.
The campus of the School has two distinct buildings. The Early Childhood Center in the Janet Simon Building is a 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility specifically designed to meet the needs of younger children. It also houses the TODDLER Program and on-site childcare program for children of employees. School aged students learn in the Main Campus structure known the Mary Schenley Building, named after the woman who contributed the land the building is situated on.
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In 2001, the School had the prestigious honor of being designated a “Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,“ by the U.S. Department of Education, the only school for the visually impaired to ever receive this distinguished honor.
The School is also accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools- Commission on Elementary Schools. This signifies that the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children aspires to the highest standards of excellence. The School received commendation for being a fostering and supportive educational environment where students are treated with respect and dignity.
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