“I really want to help those students who are getting ready to graduate from high school and go off to college to be independent in the kitchen so they don’t have to rely on somebody else to feed themselves.”
I want to meet every student and their individual needs where they’re at. Whatever life has handed them, we will work with them to find these work - arounds. And from there, I also want to teach sighted parents how to teach their blind or visually impaired children how to cook.” With dedicated advocates like May, Chef Bricker, IBCF, and the support of Ivy Tech Indianapo- lis, the future looks bright for IS- BVI’s visually impaired students as they embark on their journey toward culinary independence. “I’ve always found that being in the kitchen is a way for me to relax and express myself. I want others who are like me to get the chance to experience that,” May said. “My goal is to have the students leave ISBVI and feel confident enough to come to Ivy Tech and continue their education.”
Photo by: Jeff Bricker
Photo by: Jeff Bricker
ISBVI will temporarily occupy In- dianapolis Public Schools’ Floro Torrence School 83 and George Buck School 94 for five to six years while its permanent cam- pus is renovated. In partnership with IBCF, the school has decid- ed to build a movable kitchen that can be utilized while in the temporary location and trans- ported to their new campus down the line. Cunningham Restaurant Group is also part- nering with IBCF and ISBVI to continue monthly cooking class- es with ISBVI students through- out the temporary relocation. The curriculum for the program is still being developed, with plans to start the next academ- ic year. Chef Bricker and May’s expertise and dedication have been invaluable in shaping the program. Although they’re still in the planning phase along
with Reynolds and others, May shares that the course will begin with foundational skills such as tool identification and basic cooking techniques and prog- ress to more advanced topics. The goal, ultimately, is to en- sure that students leave ISBVI with the skills they need to live independently and confidently. As for May’s role in the pro- gram, she hopes to teach at IS- BVI in the future, but until then, she sees herself as a resource and advocate for the students. Her passion for helping stu- dents gain independence shines through, making her an integral part of this transforma- tive initiative. “Once this program starts, we can only grow from here,” May said. “My goal is for ISBVI to be fully adaptive in its classes.
12 | Ivy Indy
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