Change Makers: A Podcast from APH

APH Services and Events that Help Prepare Children for a Successful Future

• American Printing House • Episode 119

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On this episode, learn about the Monarch Student Pilot Program and the Abacus Bee. Now open for nominations for the fall of 2025, the Monarch Student Pilot Program will be accepting students entering the sixth to 11th grade, who are able to read and write braille and who have experience with Refreshable Braille technology.

The APH Abacus Bee is a fun and engaging competition designed to ignite a passion for mathematics in students who are blind or have low vision. By allowing the use of various formats like print, braille, UEB math, or Nemeth code, the competition ensures that participants can use methods that suit their individual learning styles.

In this podcast (In Order of Appearance)

  • Narrator
  • Sara Brown, APH Public Relations Manager
  • Sarah Gauer, APH Monarch Student Program Project Manager
  • John Tracey, Simons Foundation Program Director, Science, Society and Culture
  • Jennifer Brooks, APH National Abacus Bee Event Coordinator
  • Melissa Fischer, KSB teacher
  • Piper, Abacus Bee participant
  • Bradley, Abacus Bee participant
  • Gabe, Abacus Bee participant


Additional Links


Narrator:

<silence> Welcome to Change Makers , a podcast from APH. We're talking to people from around the world who are creating positive change in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision. Here's your host.

Sara Brown:

Hello and welcome to Change Makers . I'm APH's Public Relations manager, Sara Brown . And on today's episode, we're talking about APH services and events that can help prepare your child and young adult for the future. Up . First, we're talking about the Monarch Student Pilot Program. I have Sarah Gauer here to tell us more. Hello Sarah , and welcome to Change Makers.

Sarah Gauer:

Hi Sarah. I'm so glad to be back with my fellow Sarah.

Sara Brown:

<laugh>. Exactly. Sarah with an 'H' and Sara without an 'H'. Yep . I an 'H."

Sarah Gauer:

<laugh>.

Sara Brown:

And before we get into the interview, can you let our listeners know what it is that you do at APH?

Sarah Gauer:

Yeah. My name is Sarah Gauer and I am the Project manager for the Monarch Student Pilot Project. So my job is help design this project , um, help get it implemented, and then during the course of it, my responsibilities have been to help keep everyone informed and up to date on what's going on in the project.

Sara Brown:

And can you remind our listeners know what exactly the Monarch Student Pilot program is?

Sarah Gauer:

Yeah. Um, so the short version is that , uh, the Monarch Student Pilot Project provides Monarch to students on a long-term loan until they graduate from high school. Those students and their educators agree to complete periodic questionnaires to provide us with their feedback and to tell us about their experiences with Monarch.

Sara Brown:

Talk about the goal of this program?

Sarah Gauer:

So that, that is a bit of a longer answer. <laugh> . Um, we, at the American Printing House in partnership with HumanWare, developed the incredible piece of refreshable braille technology that is Monarch. And in 2024, it was ready to go out into the world. Um , leading up to Monarch's release, we created the Monarch Student Pilot project with three big goals in mind. So first, we wanted to get Monarch into the hands of as many kids as possible, and we wanted to ensure that those kids had year-round access to their refreshable braille. We've heard so many cases of kids not having access to refreshable braille like during the summer break. Meanwhile, their tech is gathering dust on the school shelves. So we wanted something better for the kids, which is why this project was designed as a long-term loan to the family of each student. Participants in the project get to hold onto the Monarch until they graduate from high school, which means they can have it in the evenings, on the weekends, and over long breaks, so they get a chance to make refreshable Braille a part of their everyday lives. So that was our first goal. The second goal is pretty straightforward. Uh , Monarch is brand new technology, and we needed feedback. Monarch, of course, went through rigorous testing during its development, but just like with any new technology, there are going to be ways people use it that we never thought of. We wanted to hear directly from users about what works, what needs improvement, and maybe most importantly, what they wished Monarch could do. So one of the responsibilities of participating in the project is that the students and their educators both agree to complete periodic questionnaires to provide us their feedback.

Sara Brown:

Talk about the importance of these questionnaires and why feedback is important?

Sarah Gauer:

So these questionnaires, we ask participants about their experiences with Monarch and how it's been utilized within the classroom, which actually brings us around to our third goal, which is evaluating Monarch's educational impact. Again, this is brand new technology. So we, we have lots of questions. You know, "how will Monarch impact students in a real world environment?" "Will it improve their Braille literacy?" "Will it encourage independent learning?" With Monarch students can have so much information at their fingertips and so quickly, you know , "are we going to see them more eager to seek out learning on their own?" "Will these students feel more confident and more equipped for moving into the next chapter of their lives?" Whether that's secondary education or joining the workforce? And we have just as many questions about the educators experiences. The opportunities that Monarch provides are set to revolutionize classroom learning, and that means a lot of changes for educators. So we need to know what support will they need? "What kind of training resources and community will educators need to ensure success with their students?" "Does Monarch make their lives easier in the long run?" And, you know, of course, who better to learn from than the educators themselves? They're the experts on what they need and what their students need to succeed. So much like Monarch itself, the Monarch Student Pilot Project has some big ambitions and we're really excited about. Um, and we're already captured. We've already captured a lot of great insights from our participants, whether it's a window into how Monarch is being incorporated into their learning, some really helpful feedback or any of the wonderful personal anecdotes, some of which have honestly brought me to tears.

Sara Brown:

I bet you've had some stories. Can you talk about some of the stories that you've had or some of the feedback? Can you share any of that?

Sarah Gauer:

I would love to. We've, we've already learned a tremendous amount from our participants. These students and educators, they , they have not been shy. They've really dived in and taken Monarch out for a spin. Uh, most of the students are using Monarch on a regular basis to complete their schoolwork, and more than 70% of students say they feel confident using Monarch independently. Um, and honestly , both the educators and the students themselves are talking about the positive impact Monarch has already had. Educators have reported that over two thirds of the students are more enthusiastic about learning since receiving Monarch. And over 40% of students themselves say that school is more enjoyable, which is just incredible. Like thinking back to my school days, the idea that any tool could have had that big of an impact on my fellow classmates actually enjoying school is mind boggling . But, you know, it, it just speaks to how ready these kids are for more, and these students are eager to break down those traditional barriers. So many of the stories from students focus on them being able to follow their curiosity and look up information independently and how exciting that was for them. Um, in fact, over 60% of students say that Monarch has given them access to subjects or materials that were previously inaccessible, and 70% say they have learned something new, thanks to the greater access to tactile graphics, 70%. Like , um, I I, I'd love to share a quote from one of the students. This is an 11th grader from Wisconsin talking about tactile graphics. Uh, they said in the past, tactile graphics have been something that have been needed to be prepared days in advance. But being able to tap into a pre-made library of graphics that I can instantly receive is game changing. And depending on what I want to know, I can use different levels of detail with Zoom to fine tune what I'm looking at. This is a feature that isn't really possible to recreate on a hard copy graphic that has been embossed. So going back to what I said earlier, these kids are ready for more, they're ready, their educators are ready for more too. Also, going back to what I mentioned earlier, one of the goals of the Monarch Student Pilot project is to identify what strategies educators are using to incorporate Monarch into their lesson plans and what supports they need to be successful at . You know, as you might expect, this first year since Monarch's launch has posed unique challenges as everyone is learning together, educators, students, their parents and guardians and even APH we're learning , um, Monarch offers a brand new dynamic and pace for learning in the classroom. So while many educators reported hurdles trying to incorporate Monarch into the curriculum, the good news is that those who were successful reported that their lesson prep time went down by more than 25%, and that was the case for both STEM and non STEM classes. So, I mean, that's terrific news. We all know the educators could use more time back in their days. Now, perhaps the even better news is that all the feedback we've collected during this past year from those educators, students and their parents and guardians is all helping to impact the future of Monarch. All those nuggets of wisdom from educators about incorporating Monarch into the curriculum, all the features dreamed up by the super tech savvy students, those are all getting reviewed and all being taken seriously. A great example is how many students reported not liking the protective membrane, covering the braille cells. Those membranes have done an incredible job protecting the cells. In fact, someone once spilled a soda on their Monarch and it still worked, so the membrane's not likely to go away. However, based on that user feedback, we've already, we're already working with the manufacturers on developing a better membrane, one that's both thinner and more durable, and that's really just scratching the surface. So there's still lots of great new advances to come with Monarch.

Sara Brown:

Do you have any other stories about the Monarch?

Sarah Gauer:

Yes, I, I've talked a lot about the features and stats we've gathered, but I'd like to switch gears for a little bit . For me, the most important piece of the Monarch Student Pilot Project has been hearing stories about how Monarch has impacted families. I really , I wasn't expecting this piece of the project. Um, the students get to take these Monarch home, which means they can use this as part of their everyday lives. A great example is there's an a ninth grader in Kentucky who shared how much they love reading out loud with their family and how they've even started a family book club. So it's them using Monarch's multi-line display to its full potential and the other family members reading from a print copy. I love that one. And for those that don't know, a monitor can be connected to Monarch, which lets a sided person follow along. This functionality allowed for one of my favorite family stories to happen. So I'm gonna quote an educator from Idaho who's sharing the story of their ninth grade , or I'm sorry, their eighth grader. My student is more willing to do homework at home. Her mom has not learned braille. And with the external monitor, she's able to help with homework they read together now, which her mom was unable to do before the Monarch. It has been fantastic for their relationship. That one just gets me every single time, like how, how do you get any better than that story? <laugh> ,

Sara Brown:

Is there any other information that you'd like to share with our listeners?

Sarah Gauer:

I am so excited to share that the nomination form for students to join the Monarch Student Pilot Project in fall of 2025 is live. So if you're an educator or a homeschool parent guardian and you think your student could benefit from a Monarch, I encourage you to get them nominated. You can go to aph.org and select the "Meet Monarch" tab. From there, you're gonna navigate to the Monarch Student Pilot project section and a link to the nomination form will be available there. We'll be accepting students entering the sixth to 11th grade who are able to read and write braille and who have experience with Refreshable Braille technology. And if folks have any questions or need any assistance while completing this nomination form, reach out to our Monarch support team. Um , they can be reached either at MonarchSupport @aph.org , or you can call our phone number at (833) 447-8444 . And this team is also happy to answer any general questions someone might have about Monarch.

Sara Brown:

Alright , Sarah , I've put a link in the show notes to the nomination form as well as the phone number Sarah just mentioned. So be sure to look in the show notes. Sarah , thank you so much for coming on Change Makers and talking to me about the Monarch Student Pilot Program.

Sarah Gauer:

Thank you for having me again. It's always a pleasure.

Sara Brown:

Now it's time to grab your abacus and head on to the Abacus Bee held back in March. The Abacus Bee is hosted by APH and is the only National Abacus competition for students who are blind or low vision , the Abacus Bee is funded by Simons Foundation International and administered by the Simons Foundation's Science Society and Culture Division. Let's take a listen. Let me get your name and who you're with.

John Tracey:

I'm John Tracey. I'm with the Simons Foundation.

Sara Brown:

Okay. And talk about the Simons Foundation and conjunction with the Abacus Bee. Why is the Abacus Bee such an important factor and play a important role for the Simons Foundation?

John Tracey:

Yeah, so the, the Simons Foundation primarily funds basic science and math research, but our division, science, society and culture thinks about how people form and maintain relationships with science. Um, and by people we mean everyone. Um, you know, we lead with equity in our work. We believe that everyone deserves to have a relationship with science in ways that are meaningful to them. Um, and the Abacus Bee is, you know, a beautiful example of that.

Sara Brown:

And how have you seen the Abacus Bee grow over the past few years?

John Tracey:

Yeah, quite literally. I've seen it grow. I remember , uh, two years ago , um, going to APH headquarters and it being a , a really beautiful event, but modest, right? Like it was , you know, it was a handful of folks there , um, and it was really special. But, you know, coming back last year , um, and just seeing the exponential growth and this year just, it's, yeah, it's really beautiful to see.

Sara Brown:

And is there anything you'd like to share from the Simons Foundation? Anything new or exciting you all are partnering with or are doing?

John Tracey:

Well, we are thinking a lot about math lately. Uh , you know, our founder , one of our co-founders, Jim Simons obviously is a , um, was a big math guy. Uh , our next kind of national initiative will be around math. Um, and so I think this is the , the Abacus Bee is a , a really lovely example of , um, how to engage not just kids, but their families and their parents and their caregivers with um, engage 'em with math. Um, so we're just, yeah, really excited to, to continue the work.

Sara Brown:

And my last question I always ask, is there anything else you would like to share before I let you go? It could be about anything.

John Tracey:

Um, I heard yesterday that someone rattled off I think 165 digits of pie and that was mind blowing to me. I think I can rattle off just the three <laugh>.

Sara Brown:

Was that here in Abacus Bee, or Oh my gosh. Okay. Well see if I can find that kid. <laugh> . Well that's so cool. John, thank you so much for coming on and talking to me on Change Makers.

John Tracey:

Anytime . Thanks for having me.

Sara Brown:

Can you introduce yourself and let our listeners know who you are and what you're doing here for the Abacus Bee?

Jennifer Brooks:

Sure thing. Welcome to Abacus Bee Central. I'm Jen Brooks and we are here for a full two-day event for families and contestants who have made it to the finalist category.

Sara Brown:

Great. And the abacus be , one thing I will say is that it has grown exponentially from its beginning. We're back here at the Embassy Suites in downtown Louisville. Talk about how this has grown over the years. It's so cool to see the transformation.

Jennifer Brooks:

Absolutely. An exponential is the key word. We have been adding , uh, regionals to our event every year. We started three years ago with two states participating in regionals. This year we have 10 states participate. We have students from nine states from across the country here at the finals event

Sara Brown:

And talk about what they're doing. Talk about some of the challenges that they're , these kids in this Abacus Be are conquering because this is, you know, that device that we all know and love with the beads and you slide them up. But talk about how it's being implemented into this challenge and why it's so important that kids know how to use an abacus.

Jennifer Brooks:

Absolutely. So the Abacus is such a great tool to take the abstract concepts of math, get them into literally the fingertips of our students into a concrete format that they can then manipulate and learn those skills of foundational math. We want our kids to succeed in that foundational level of math, which is addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. That's where we're starting. As we grow the Abacus, we can grow more levels with more complex math because that's what we want is for our kids to have a great solid foundation that they can launch off of into this world of stem, into those more advanced mathematics courses.

Sara Brown:

And you know, I've seen kids mentally, you know, mental math is a big deal, especially with this, with Abacus Bee. And I have seen kids mentally sliding beads over in their mind , in their minds, and that is such a cool thing. How does it feel to see kids growing and thriving after being in a program like the Abacus Bee?

Jennifer Brooks:

Oh wow. So I actually have a story for you. We had one of our students in , uh, she has been here every, all three years. Her state was one of our very first states and she did the regional competition without an abacus . She just did it with that mental math. And after the regionals, she got into the finals and her TVI said, you know, let's learn the abacus real quick. Let's get this skill for you for the finals event. She learned it from the regionals in the fall to the finals in the spring. And she told her TVI after the finals, that was so much easier because now like it's right there at her fingertips. She doesn't have to hold it all in her brain. And she has now moved a level up every single year from a very beginner level up three higher, and she's looking at possibly skipping a level and going all the way to the top next year. We'll see. So yes, getting again, those foundational skills with the abacus will help them with speed, efficiency, accuracy. And then once they have that foundation of the abacus use, they can then launch into that mental math much quicker, much easier.

Sara Brown:

And my last question, is there anything else you would like to share about the Abacus Bee?

Jennifer Brooks:

Well, we held the Abacus Bee this year on , uh, March 14th and March 15th. March 14th happens to be Pi Day 3, 1, 4. Uh, so we had all sorts of fantastic activities yesterday, irrationally fun activities, if I may say , uh, <laugh> all around pie , what pie is what it does for us and also the numbers of pie that continue on and on and on.

Sara Brown:

Now I will say this last year you gave me a joke. Do you have one this year? <laugh>? I know you have plenty loaded for it . Ready and waiting.

Jennifer Brooks:

I think I can remember one that I said yesterday. There was a contestant who told me that he ate his homework. And I said, why did you do that? He said, well, my teacher said it was full of pie. That sums it up.

Sara Brown:

There we go. <laugh>, here's our annual joke from Jennifer Brooks. Jennifer, thank

Jennifer Brooks:

You. I will be here all weekend long.

Sara Brown:

Jennifer, thank you so much for coming and talking to me on Change Makers .

Jennifer Brooks:

Thank you so much for having us and for highlighting our fantastic program.

Sara Brown:

<laugh> , can I just get you to say your name and who you're here for?

Kevin Slaughter:

Yeah, my name is Kevin Slaughter and my grandson , uh, Gabrielle.

Sara Brown:

And how does it feel to see your grandchild participate in something like the Abacus Bee? This is a really cool math competition. How does it feel to see your, your grandchild doing this?

Kevin Slaughter:

I'm glad he is , uh, you know, education and mathematics and reading is so important , uh, today as it has been for years, for centuries, and he enjoys it and he's happy, makes him happy, and , uh, he's doing really well in school. So I'm , I'm glad for him.

Sara Brown:

And is there anything else you'd like to share watching about the Abacus Bee or watching your grandchild participate?

Kevin Slaughter:

I think this is like third year. Uh, he's nine years old and like I say, it makes him happy and glad and he looks forward to it.

Sara Brown:

Can I get you just to say your name and let us know who you're , um, who you're with. I know you're an educator, so tell us your name?

Melissa Fisher:

My name is Melissa Fisher and I am the middle school math teacher at Kentucky School for the Blind.

Sara Brown:

Wonderful. Well thank you so much for talking to me today. Can you talk about what it means to have, you said you had two students in this Abacus Bee. What does it mean to have two students in this Abacus Bee especially watching them just grow?

Melissa Fisher:

So , um, it's been an amazing experience to be able to see , um, them be in a competition with students across the nation , um, and to be able to do something , um, that I guess they're really good at and , um, to have an experience with , uh, peers not that are just at our school. Um, and to get to know others and just to be competitive

Sara Brown:

And talk about, especially as an educator, how is the Abacus be benefiting the student ? We know it, but from, and I'm because I'm with APH, but talk about as an educator why a program like this is so vital for students.

Melissa Fisher:

So one, it um, allows them to , um, feel like they have accomplished something. Um, it allows them to , uh, continue to work on , uh, math skills and , um, it also allows them to , um, just be part of like a competitive atmosphere that they don't always get to do when they're at , um, a , um, school specifically for blind and low vision students.

Sara Brown:

And before I let you go, is there anything else you'd like to share, whether it be about your students or as an educator or Abacus Bee?

Melissa Fisher:

Um, I'm just really excited as a math teacher that there is not a competition specifically for math because we've always had competition specifically for braille, but not specifically for math. So.

Sara Brown:

All right . Melissa, thank you so much for talking to me on Change Makers.

Melissa Fisher:

All right , thank you.

Sara Brown:

I'm here with Piper. Would you like to say hello to all of our listeners on Change Makers?

Abacus Bee Participant:

Hi,

Sara Brown:

<laugh> . All right . Piper, talk about how everything's been today for Abacus B .

Piper:

It has been cold for one. I'm gonna be so real and it's been pretty laid back.

Sara Brown:

Okay. Now what , what type of testing have you encountered?

Piper:

We did math test , which was adding and subtracting.

Sara Brown:

Okay. And what , what level are you in right now?

Piper:

I'm a starter.

Sara Brown:

Okay, so talk about what being a starter means?

Piper:

It's right before you get to doing division and multiplication in the problems basically.

Sara Brown:

Okay. And what do you like best about Abacus Bee?

Piper:

The new people you meet from all over the world.

Sara Brown:

Awesome. Is there anything you would like to share with our listeners before I let you go for lunch?

Piper:

I don't think so.

Sara Brown:

All right , Piper, thank you so much for talking to me and good luck the rest of your day at Abacus Bee. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Would you like to say your name and just say hello to all of our listeners?

Bradley:

My name is Bradley.

Sara Brown:

Okay Bradley. Now talk to me about Abacus Bee. What have you been doing so far?

Bradley:

We have been doing a few tests and two were just short equations and then one we just finished one that was longer equations. And then next we're gonna do space race, which is there is gonna be a computer that is reading equations to us

Sara Brown:

Okay. Now talk about what do you like the best about Abacus Bee? What's the best part for you?

Bradley:

Probably just being with all the kids and hanging out with them.

Sara Brown:

Okay. Now is there anything you'd like to share with our listeners before I let you go? Anybody out there listening that might be thinking about participating next year?

Bradley:

Don't think about winning, just think about having fun.

Sara Brown:

Alright . Wise words from Mr. Bradley. Thank you <laugh> . Alright, would you like to say your name and let our listeners know who you are?

Gabe:

Uh , my name is Gabe.

Sara Brown:

Okay. And talk about the Abacus Bee. How has it been for you so far ?

Gabe:

Uh, okay, so far.

Sara Brown:

What are some of the testing? What's some of the testing been like for you? Been crushing it.

Gabe:

Yes.

Sara Brown:

Anything else you wanna share about the Abacus Bee?

Gabe:

No.

Sara Brown:

And what would you say to anybody out there interested in participating next year?

Gabe:

Uh, don't panic about it. Unlike me, just don't panic.

Sara Brown:

Okay. So did you panic this year ? Yes,

Gabe:

Very much.

Sara Brown:

Now are you all calmed down and ready to crush it? Okay, Gabe, thank you so much for talking to me.

Gabe:

You're welcome.

Sara Brown:

And that sums up the 2025 Abacus Bee held at the downtown Louisville Embassy Suites. If you are interested in learning more about the Abacus Bee, please check the Show Notes. Also, in those Show Notes, you'll find links to the Monarch Student Pilot program. Do you have a podcast topic suggestion? Please send it my way at Changemakers@aph.org. Thank you for listening to this episode. I hope you have enjoyed it. And as always, be sure to look for ways you can be a change maker this week.