Use of arrow keys when focused on the Google language option field will translate site content on the fly. Use your enter key to review all options and choose your selection before applying.
Press Room
TVI Blog
The staff and students are back at it in the TVI Program, and by that we mean days filled with learning, fun, practice, skill-building, relationship-building, and so much more. Mr. Palmer keeps track of their jam packed days over in the TVI blog!
Interested in a new and exciting career working alongside experts in the field of visual impairment? Overbrook School for the Blind is hiring for several positions. Visit the job posting board and apply today.
5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Child Learning This Summer
Congratulations on another great school year!
Summer provides a well-deserved break for your child, but it’s also an important time for students with visual impairments to practice what they’ve learned, prepare for next year, and experience life outside the classroom.
Follow these fun and easy steps to ensure your child is making progress both at home and in the community.
1. Plan a Party
Whether it’s 4th of July, Labor Day, or just a good old fashioned BBQ, summer is full of get-togethers with family and friends. As you plan and prepare your summer gatherings, remember to involve your child! These are great opportunities to teach the functional living skills that they’ll use for a lifetime. Your child can help create the guest list, select food and drinks, count how many cups and plates are needed, and shop for items at the store. And when the big day arrives, they can help pick music and keep your guests entertained.
2. Help Around the House
You already know that summer break means more cooking, cleaning, and laundry. But did you also know that all those chores are teachable moments for your child? No matter what age they are, it is never too early for your child to take on some responsibility in your home.
Even if your child is not quite ready to do their own laundry, start small! They can fold the family towels each week or collect the items that need to be washed from around the house and put them in a laundry basket.
Feeling nervous about getting your child more involved with cooking? There are plenty of smaller jobs in the kitchen that are helpful and important to learn! Think: loading plates into the dishwasher, mixing ingredients, wiping countertops, or setting the table. You’ll appreciate an extra set of hands and they’ll love playing an important role.
3. Manage Money
Handling money and making purchases are critical independent living skills that kids of all ages are motivated to learn.
There are plenty of ways for your child to practice using money in the community. Maybe she’s old enough to tag along to the grocery store and compare prices, follow a list, and learn the layout of where items can be found. If she’s not there yet, don’t worry; there are plenty of other ways to practice using money! She can talk to a cashier during a sale, handle cash when your family buys a treat from the ice cream truck, or even learn about paying your monthly bills.
4. Read, Read, Read!
A good book teaches life lessons, builds comprehension skills, and gives children something new and exciting to talk about with others.
How you incorporate more reading into your family’s summer schedule is up to you. A family trip to the library offers your child the chance to speak to a librarian, seek out a favorite subject, and spend some time outside of the house.
If your child reads independently, make sure plenty of books are on hand for them to explore over the course of the summer. You can also consider stocking up on audiobooks or select books that the whole family can read together and enjoy.
5. Explore
Children are naturally curious, but children with visual impairments require hands-on experiences to learn and understand the world around them. When your child expresses interest in a new topic, marvels at how something works, or has dozens of questions about a new experience, take advantage!
There are many free and inexpensive ways to turn curiosity into hands-on learning. If he wants to know more about where the water in a household faucet comes from, take a trip to the hardware store and explore the parts of a sink. If he loves all things nature related, visit a local park or garden center to learn about plants, where they grow, and how to care for them. Let curiosity lead the way!
Have your own summer plans for encouraging your visually impaired child to grow? That’s great! There’s no limit to how much you and child can do to build important life skills. Inspiration is all around you… just remember to have fun (it is summer, after all)!
Welcome Back Students
A very big welcome back to so many of our students. ESY begins today and we are all smiles knowing the kids will be back and the campus will bustling. We hope everyone enjoys learning in a relaxed summer atmosphere that ensures our students maintain the educational gains they achieved throughout the school year. Extended School Year is an intregal part of our students' education and we are excited to get started!
Don't forget ESY runs Monday - Thursday from 9 am until 2 pm.
Steph Yin, WHYY, The Pulse stopped by our school to talk with the students and staff to learn more about White Canes and Orientation and Mobility. Thank you for coming out Steph.
MetroKids Article Focuses on OSB
MetroKids came to our school to learn more about our Horticulture Therapy Program, read the article here.
The Summer 2019 Red & White News is out and you don't want to miss this edition. A big year-end shout out to the staff and students who work so hard to produce such a great publication. Read this edition and previous editions.
Garden Clean Up
Overbrook School for the Blind is having an orchard and garden workday on Tuesday, June 11th from 3-4:30 PM . Join us for some fresh air, fun and meaningful work!
The Farm to Table Crew
Welcome Sheena Lawrence
The OSB community welcomes Sheena Lawrence, Overbrook School for the Blind's new Business Manager and Chief Financial Officer.
OSB Night at Iron Hill Brewery
Give 20% Event Benefiting Overbrook School for the Blind
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, 30 East State Street, Media, Pennsylvania 19063 will be hosting a benefit night for Overbrook School for the Blind on June 10, 2019. Mark your calendars for a great night out with friends or family, call ahead to place an order, or stop by for a quick snack. Twenty percent of proceeds will be donated to our school. 11:30am - 12am. We are grateful to Iron Hill for sponsoring this event. We hope to see you there!
Adapted Bicycles are Fun!
Did you know there are a wide variety of accessible bikes that give everyone the opportunity to get outside and play! Recumbent bicycles, tandem bicycles, large tricycles are just some of the options that our students enjoy taking out for a spin. In the photo below, George and Daou ride tandem on the Field House track for some fresh air and exercise! Our therapists and PE Instructors begin using bicycles in Early Childhood for coordination, muscle building and of course for fun! Riding a bike never goes out of style, and being able to participate is always the goal.
Adapted PE Creativity
Our staff is incredible. We can't say enough about how hard they work, how dedicated they are to our students, and how much they give of themselves each day.
Their creativity is non-stop and the students are the benefactors of their genius. Understanding eye conditions and theoretical practice are the foundation of our TVIs education, but that leaves out their "teacher magic". Physical Education teacher, Amanda Hoade set up mini-golf course for the students! How cool is that? You can guess tha the students had a blast playing indoor mini-golf!
Staff Appreciation Day
We wouldn't be as great as we are, without the unique and individual contributions each employee makes. Today we celebrated those who are retiring, those who have dedicated 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years, and the staff as a whole. We're all in this together, and we are grateful to have such an amazing staff.
Spring Concert, Tonight 7pm!
"We Heard It Through the Grapevine!"
Join us on Thursday night when OSB students from the Mixed Choir, Mixed Ensemble, Voice of Overbrook, and the Bell Choir join together for a night of Motown musical favorites from the Jackson Five, the Supremes, and more. We're WALKIN' DOWN MOTOWN! Join us at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium. Parking available.
We look forward to seeing you tonight! Our performances are always an amazing time! You'll leave smiling.
WHYY Visits Our Horticulture Center
Many thanks to WHYY, Reporter Catalina Jaramillo, and Photographer Bastiaan Slabber for visiting our new M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center and creating this thoughtful web story and for featuring us on the morning commute today!
Our students always have an eye on giving back or assisting those less fortunate, and April was no different. The students collected socks and personal hygiene items for those struggling with homelessness. Seven boxes were dropped off at Our Lady of Lourdes across the street from Overbook. Being kind, volunteering, the importance of giving back and helping others, are some of the life lessons that we strive to teach our students.
The mentorship committee would like to thank all students, parents and staff members for donating items to the needy.
PRESS RELEASE: GRAND OPENING OF ACCESSIBLE HORTICULTURE AND EDUCATION CENTER AT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAND OPENING OF ACCESSIBLE HORTICULTURE AND EDUCATION CENTER AT OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
Center made possible by contribution in memory of late OSB Trustee M. Christine Murphy and Green Mountain Energy Sun Club grant.
Philadelphia – May 10, 2019 – Local officials will join Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) students, staff, and Board of Trustees, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture and Education Center - a LEED Silver certified and planned Net Zero Energy greenhouse - on Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m.
The 1,780 square-foot adaptive and accessible building houses OSB’s award-winning Farm to Table program and horticulture therapy activities. The Center is named in memory of the late M. Christine Murphy, who was a former OSB Trustee, neighbor, and longtime friend of Overbrook School for the Blind. Construction, which cost more than $1 million to complete, was made possible in part by a generous memorial contribution from Murphy’s husband, and current OSB Board member, Sid Rosenblatt, as well as a grant of more than $200,000 from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club.
“The creation of the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center represents a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Todd Reeves, Overbrook School for the Blind Executive Director/CEO. “Beyond the gardening, nutrition and health and wellness benefits, this project will no doubt amplify many long-term goals we seek to foster in our students, including vocational experiences, greater independence and the values of lifelong learning.”
“Sid and his family are extraordinarily generous supporters of OSB’s highest priority - our students,” said Warwick S. Wheeler, Overbrook School for the Blind Board President. “We are deeply grateful for Sid’s longtime partnership and his exceptional support of this project.”
“Overbrook was a place in Christine’s heart,” said Sid Rosenblatt, Overbrook School for the Blind Board Member and husband of late M. Christine Murphy. “She was forever telling people to go to campus to see the work that they do at the school. I know that this Center will improve the lives of OSB students in ways - gardening, horticulture therapy, employment training - that would make Christine proud. My family - David, Anna, Ruth and many of Chris’ family and friends - are honored to be able to support this project.”
A grant totaling $201,480 from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club provided the Center with a high-efficiency misting and irrigation system; manual solar shades that will balance the temperature in the greenhouse, and reduce the electric, heating and cooling costs; and a 50-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) system which has been installed on the roof of OSB’s Nevil Field House.
“Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is honored to be a part of this project and to support the life-changing work of Overbrook School for the Blind,” said Mark Parsons, Green Mountain Energy vice-president and general manager. “We seek partners that share our goal of a more sustainable world, both for the environment and the community. Overbrook School for the Blind is one of those special organizations that enhances and educates the lives of the people it serves and makes Philadelphia a better place.”
During the PV system’s first year of production, it is expected to harness and distribute more than 85,000-kilowatt hours and, in the process, take a step towards the school’s goal of earning a Net Zero Energy Building certification for the Center.
“We are beyond fortunate to call the Sun Club a partner in this project,” said Reeves. “Many projects strive to include sustainable solutions, but often struggle. Thanks to the Sun Club’s generosity, our students will now benefit from hands-on learning experiences that have been infused with energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. While we are striving for a Net Zero Energy Building designation, it is difficult to classify these student impacts as anything other than a net gain.”
Additional key supporters who made the project possible include: the Connelly Foundation, the McLean Contributionship, the Arcadia Foundation, the Jessie G. Roman Charitable Trust, the Philadelphia Foundation and the Howling Beagles Foundation.
About Overbrook School for the Blind
Since 1832, Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) has developed and delivered education that enhances the options available for students with visual impairment and other challenges so that they have the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives. Any child with blindness or visual impairment (20/70 or less, as corrected), is under 21 years of age, and is referred by his or her local school district, may be considered for admission to Overbook School for the Blind. In addition to a full academic program, OSB students receive special training and participate in different activities that are important to the development of children who are blind or visually impaired. This includes orientation and mobility, daily living skills, assistive technology, music, art, and a full sports program. Overbrook School for the Blind also serves children with deafblindness in all of its outreach and educational programs. For more information, visit www.obs.org.
About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club The Green Mountain Energy Sun Club is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing sustainable communities. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Sun Club® invests in nonprofits and focuses on projects related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation and environmental stewardship. Since the program’s founding in 2002, the Sun Club has donated nearly $7 million to more than 110 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. To learn more about the Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit gmesunclub.org.
### Press Contacts: Gloria Yoshioka, Overbrook School for the Blind, Gloria@obs.org, 215-290-6405
The Women's Track and Field Team had a group huddle before the event, to show each other solidarity and to encourage and inspire everyone. One of the team members was overheard saying, "And remember, we cheer for all teams, not only ours!". That right there is Husky Pride. Go girls!!
Watch Us Grow!
Horticulture Therapist, Mr. Rich Matteo, helps Julius learn how to water the strawberries and asparagus. Our students are actively involved in our exciting new program happening in the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center. Spring is better than ever this year on campus.
Cheering on Mr. Reeves at the KAC, May 2nd
Please join us at the Kappen Aquatic Center, Thursday, May 2nd any time from 8 am until 11 am as Mr. Todd Reeves begins the first 3 miles of his 10-mile swim to Celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of the Kappen Aquatic Center! We hope to see you all there! Please bring signs, poster boards, OSB clothing and any other form of encouragement!
Read the Latest News You Can Use
Read the latest and past issues of our Parent Newsletter, News You Can Use.
Student Worker Takes Professional Development
Stephanie A. was asked by her internship employer, Overbrook Presbyterian Preschool, to participate in one of their professional development sessions and she received a certificate of attendance in Fire Safety Practices from the Lower Merion Fire Department. We are so grateful to this wonderful employer for helping Stephanie to grow as an employee and also build a great resume!
Philadelphia Flyers & Carter Hart Donate to Overbrook School for the Blind!
It is with deepest gratitude and heart-pounding excitement that we share this news! The incredible Philadelphia Flyers, Rookie goalie, Carter Hart took home the Toyota Cup award for accruing the most star of the game points. A check for $5,000 was presented in his name to Overbrook School for the Blind! We cannot even begin to thank him personally and the Philadelphia Flyers Organization for its generosity of spirit, its big, big Philly heart! We are beyond grateful and filled with pride! So many thanks! We can't wait to invite you here to see what becomes of your generous donation!
Creating opportunities for Overbrook students to work as consultants (building their professional resume)
To establish a relationship with Overbrook, Art-Reach, IoD and Temple Theaters that will emphasize the importance of accessibility in the arts #Theaterforall
THE ASK: http://bit.ly/2TjBxVV
The initiative is part of an OwlCrowd campaign created by Temple University Giving for Temple Theaters: http://bit.ly/2TjBxVV
Thanks so much for any help you can offer!
WHAT IS TEMPLE TOAST?
April 25 is a special opportunity to make your donations resonate. Temple Toast, is an annual 24-hour fundraising initiative, where
the Temple community gathers together to toast to the future of the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts and the university as a whole.
During this time, the department that has the highest number of participating individuals (at ANY amount, even $1) receives $5000 of additional funding!
Consider donating ON that date to maximize your impact!
Remember, it’s not about how much you give, it’s that you give.
The latest edition of the Red & White is out and it is fabulous. The students create this publication several times a year, using the skills they gain through their technology and academic classes. We invite you to take a few minutes to see what's happening in the High School and School to Work Programs, as witnessed through the students' lens.
The Kappen Aquatic Center - Sharing Splashes of March Madness with OSB White Hall Program and Woods Services.
Our OSB students and Woods Services enjoyed a March Madness Swim Social filled with activities, fun, laughter, joy, friendships and more! Socialization is one of the best parts of growing up, it is also part of the Expanded Core Curriculum for students with Visual Impairment. Everything we do focuses on the common core plus nine more.
Independent Travel is Crucial
School to Work Student, Sean M., has been working on his travel skills since he was in our Early Childhood Program. Our Orientation and Mobility specialists never stop assisting students in breaking barriers and meeting new personal goals. As part of O&M, students learn to take public transportation, SEPTA, and how to set up transportation services for pick up and drop off with CCT.
Ms. McGovern took this happy photo of Sean taking his first independent, CCT Connect trip! Let the exploring begin!
Spirit Week is a great time to share lots of laughs and creativity! This winter has been especially long and we are ready for the springtime! Spirit week is such a great pick me up. Who can help but smile when you see the staff and students sharing their OSB SPIRIT!
A SONG EVERYONE CAN SING!
OVERBROOK SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND PARTNERS WITH LiveConnections ON “A SONG EVERYONE CAN SING!”
Students from Overbrook School for the Blind will participate in “A Song Everyone Can Sing,” a community sing featuring VOCES8 on Sunday, March 10, 2019, at the Temple Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia.
“Our music program has collaborated with LiveConnections’ artists throughout the year in generative workshops that have helped shape the final choral piece,” says Christopher Sapienza, Choir Director at Overbrook School for the Blind. “The whole audience will be invited to join in the music-making, celebrating human ability and the joy of singing together.”
LiveConnections is dreaming big about accessibility & inclusion. Our multi-media music extravaganza welcomes EVERYONE to make music together. The cornerstone is a new choral work that invites people with diverse abilities to participate through singing, movement, visuals & technology. Collaborators include renowned a cappella ensemble VOCES8, composer Jay Fluellen, movement artist Shavon Norris, poet Daniel Simpson, Drexel University’s ExCITe Center, Art-Reach, & choirs from schools & human service organizations. Join us! Please register in advance; individuals & groups welcome. $1 per person.
The Early Intervention Outreach Program sets up community trips for our family’s in Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery and Chester counties in hopes that our families will make connections with each other. The Overbrook Teachers of Students with Visual Impairment host to introduce families and assist with visual efficiency and ways that parents can support their child's visual needs when out and about in the community. We know that it really does take a village and that sharing with someone who understands is vital to the health of the entire family.
Hockey Is For Everyone Month!
There is a ripple effect that happens when you are exposed to new things, when you share experiences, but, when you learn something new, and you teach something at the same time you are being in service. The US Blind Hockey Association in conjunction with the Voorhees SkateZone, and the Philadelphia Flyers gave our students a day they will never forget. Little did the students know, that they too gave something back to all the incredible people who made this event happen.
The latest version of News You Can Use Parent Newsletter is available from Parent Liaison, Rhonda Davis, and it is chock full of resources and events for parents and caregivers to attend. Check it out.
Julius Getting the Job Done!
Employment and Vocation at the KAC
The Kappen Aquatic Center sends a big shout out to student-employee, Julius! Julius shows up to the KAC, ready for work and he works hard. Julius is benefiting from hands-on work experience and his on-the-job skills have grown tremendously. He's learned routine, responsibility and improved his focus on Activities of Daily Living (ADL): sorting, gathering, washing, drying folding towels and restocking the Kappen Aquatic Center. We are so proud of your hard work Julius!
The Kappen Aquatic Center employs 34 student workers who benefit from real-life job training and experience in partnership with HS, STW, and Transition Services. Many students are able to apply what they have learned on-campus to off-campus employment as they become more confident and capable workers. We believe strongly career awareness, advocacy, and vocational training should begin as early as possible and continue through graduation. Our students enjoy work, and employers love working with our students.
Are you a local business interested in employing a student or students? We would love to talk to you!
Learn more about Transition and Vocational Education at Overbrook: https://www.obs.org/what-we-do/transition-services.cfm
"The Philadelphia Flyers will host students from the Overbrook School for the Blind, as every student will be paired with a player who will help them skate and give hockey pointers. The event will begin as soon as Flyers practice ends on February 6 and will last approx. 20-25 minutes. Blind skaters will then have the opportunity to continue to skate and try hockey for another 30 minutes after the Flyers leave the ice.
Some students attending will be wearing hockey gear as they learn to play blind hockey. The game is the same as regular hockey except the players are legally blind and must be classified as eligible due to a verified visual impairment.
The most significant modification is that the sport features an adapted steel puck that makes noise, and is both bigger and slower than a traditional puck. Players’ levels of vision range from legally blind---approx. 10% vision or less---to totally blind, with the lowest vision athletes playing defense or goal." A huge thank you to the US BLIND HOCKEY ASSOCIATION for arranging this fantastic event!
MR. FRANK AND MS. MELISSA COLLABORATE TO CREATE A CVI ADAPTED SHAPE SORTER!
Our staff never ceases to amaze us with their creativity and expertise. Everyone at our school shows up to give our students the best opportunity in life -- everyone.
With the help of Mr. Frank L., one of our incredible maintenance staff here at Overbrook School for the Blind, Melissa Brown, OTR/L was able to bring an adaptation she was dreaming up to life. Find out how to make your own here!
Current Issue of the Red & White Student Newsletter
The High School Program would like you to read their latest version of The Red & White News. It is chock full of facts, fun, updates, and creativity. You can read the latest issue in Adobe Spark Online Format, PDF Format, or Word Format.
We hope you enjoy the latest issue!
Braille in the Real World
Ms. Whartnaby has been teaching braille for many years in her classroom, but she also teaches students to write their signature independently and as legibly as possible. Writing your signature is a large part of your adult life -- from logging into work, or signing checks and legal documents -- students will always have a need to use their written signature -- and with Ms. Whartnaby's help -- and lots of practice, the students get it.
World Braille Day
Students explain why we celebrate World Braille Day.
World Braille Day was Friday and our campus was celebrating in lots of different ways! Student's in Ms. Worsely's class made a video to tell you a bit more about this awesome day, and students all over campus were practicing, and using braille all day long.
Etta used tactual alphabet cards to begin recognizing the shapes and patterns of the braille alphabet. You can make these at home using common household items, like dried beans, pictured in the photo.
If you're not a braille reader, why not take some time to learn a little about this coded translation of whatever language you already speak! How cool is that?
Three cheers for braille and how it changed the world.
Vanguard & POP Day of Volunteering
An incredible group of 19 volunteers from Vanguard & Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) showed up today in the chill to clean up our garden beds and create a new, 40 foot long, more accessible berry patch! That was a LOT of heavy lifting and hard work. Thank you for all of time and dedication.We are so grateful to every volunteer who showed up for us today -- and for those who continue to show up for us.
Annual Tree Trimming
Today the Farm to Table Program hosted it's Annual Tree Trimming and it was nothing short of an amazing morning. All of the students and staff got into the Holiday Spirit by making their own ornaments for the tree outside of Lyon's Hall. The staff and students also made a great Veggie Lodge!
Remembering John Martin
Overbrook School for the Blind is saddened to share that John Martin, of our Facilities and Maintenance department, passed away this weekend.
"John was a mainstay of our facilities team. During his time with our school, we could turn to him for his electrical know-how and his natural talents in sound design," remarked OSB CEO, Todd Reeves. "More than the sum of his talents, however, we could continually turn to John to go above and beyond for our students at a moment's notice and regardless of the situation at hand. He will be missed and his memory will be held in high regard by our entire campus community."
May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing.
Fiona the Fox Book Project
Fiona the Fox
Collaborative Book Project
Written, Illustrated, and Designed by Students
Last year the students in Ms. Eva's classroom worked with an Early Childhood student to produce their first book, "Fiona the Fox". The book was inspired by Early Childhood student, Noelle, who wanted to illustrate a book and inspired Ms. Eva's class to write a book!
INAUGURAL RECIPIENT OF OSB?S CAULFIELD MEDAL OF DISTINCTION AWARD PRESENTED TO JEFFREY D. MARRAZZO & KATHERINE A. HIGH, M.D., CO-FOUNDERS, SPARK THERAPEUTICS
Philadelphia, PA: Overbrook School for the Blind (OSB) will present the first Caulfield Medal of Distinction to Jeffrey D. Marrazzo and Katherine A. High, M.D., Co-Founders of Spark Therapeutics, during the fifth annual Overbrook Experience Dinner on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.
Created in honor of the legacy and pioneering spirit of Genevieve Caulfield, an alumna of Overbrook School for the Blind, the Caulfield Medal of Distinction is awarded to individuals or organizations responsible for exceptional deeds that improve society, especially the lives of those living with disabilities.
“From the moment she was old enough to attend school, Genevieve Caulfield absorbed learning wherever it appeared, an ideal that we infuse in our students every day,” says Todd Reeves, Executive Director and CEO of Overbrook School for the Blind. “The only real comment she ever made on her disability was a paradoxical one, that perhaps God took away her eyesight to divert her from the quiet world of scholarship into the world of action.”
“When we were considering recipients for the Caulfield Medal of Distinction this year, it did not take very long to determine that Spark’s own pioneering spirit and relentless pursuit of innovation are without peer, both right here in Philadelphia and like Ms. Caulfield, far beyond our city limits, as well,” says Warwick S. Wheeler, President of the Overbrook School for the Blind Board of Trustees.
Spark Therapeutics, a fully integrated company committed to discovering, developing and delivering gene therapies based in West Philadelphia, is challenging the inevitability of genetic diseases, including blindness, hemophilia and neurodegenerative diseases. Under the leadership of Marrazzo and High, the Philadelphia-based company received approval in late 2017 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the first gene therapy for an inherited retinal disease and successfully saw the first patients treated with this gene therapy earlier this year.
Ms. Genevieve Caulfield
Born in Virginia, Genevieve Caulfield lost her sight in an accident when a doctor spilled acid into her eyes when she was two months old. She graduated from Overbrook School for the Blind in 1905 and went on to attend Columbia Teachers College.
Since her youth, Ms. Caulfield had dreamed of becoming a teacher to help create a better understanding between Japanese people and Americans. Her dream came true in 1923, when she went to Japan and taught English for a living as well as braille to blind students.
In 1938, she opened the Bangkok School for the Blind, partly financed by her own savings, after she learned that blind children were considered useless in Thailand. Resisting repatriation during World War II, she stayed in Bangkok and continued to work for her school. From 1956 to 1960, she organized a school for the blind and a rehabilitation center for boys in Saigon.
In 1960, Ms. Caulfield published an autobiography about her achievements entitled The Kingdom Within. The next year, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. In 1963, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work for the blind in Asia. The award was given by President Lyndon B. Johnson in honor of President John F. Kennedy.
Her niece was the actress Joan Caulfield.
Genevieve Caulfield passed in 1972 at the age of 84.
Mr. Jeffrey D. Marrazzo
Jeff Marrazzo has led the creation and growth of Spark Therapeutics from a research center within Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to a fully integrated, commercial gene therapy company that is challenging the inevitability of genetic disease by discovering, developing and delivering potential treatments. He also serves on Spark’s board of directors.
Under Jeff’s leadership, Spark has received FDA approval for and launched the first gene therapy for a genetic disease in the United States, and has established human proof-of-concept of Spark’s gene therapy platform in both the retina and liver. In the four years since founding Spark, Jeff has secured more than $1 billion in capital and built an organization of more than 320 colleagues. For two years running, Spark has been named to the top 10 of MIT Technology Review’s “50 Smartest Companies”. It’s also been recognized as one of 2018’s most innovative companies in Biotech by Fast Company.
During a career that has spanned the public and private sectors, Jeff has consistently championed the potential benefits of precision medicine and healthcare reform for patients. Prior to Spark, he helped build the first genetic testing benefit management and pharmacogenomics medicines company to CVS Caremark. Previously, Jeff served as an advisor to former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, where he led reforms in the financing and delivery of healthcare.
Jeff currently serves as a board member of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Jeff received a B.A. in economics and B.S.E. in systems science and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a dual M.B.A. / M.P.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, a program which he founded.
Dr. Katherine High
Dr. Katherine “Kathy” High, an accomplished hematologist with a longstanding interest in gene therapy for genetic disease, began her career studying the molecular basis of blood coagulation and the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of bleeding disorders. Her pioneering bench-to-bedside studies of gene therapy for hemophilia led to a series of studies that characterized the human immune response to adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors in a variety of target tissues. Kathy’s work has evolved to encompass clinical translation of potential gene therapies for multiple inherited disorders. As the director of the Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Kathy assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists and researchers working to discover new gene and cell therapies for genetic diseases and to facilitate rapid translation of preclinical discoveries into clinical application.
As president at Spark Therapeutics, she has led the development and regulatory approval of the first gene therapy for a genetic disease in the United States. Spark has shown human proof-of-concept of its leading gene therapy platform in both the retina and the liver, and has received breakthrough therapy designations for three different therapeutics across two different tissue targets, the eye and the liver. In addition to her operational role, Kathy serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Spark.
Kathy was a long-time member of the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and of the medical staff at CHOP, where she was also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She served a five-year term on the FDA Advisory Committee on Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapies and is a past president of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT). She received her A.B. in chemistry from Harvard University, an M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a business certification from the University of North Carolina Business School Management Institute for Hospital Administrators and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Overbrook Experience Dinner
The Overbrook Experience Dinner connects guests with the challenges that students who are blind, visually impaired or living with additional disabilities face each day. More than $300,000 has been raised by the Overbrook Experience Dinner to support the M. Christine Murphy Horticulture Education Center on OSB’s campus and improve student access to adaptive/assistive technology.
The 2018 Overbrook Experience Dinner will be held on the Overbrook School for the Blind campus at 6333 Malvern Avenue in Philadelphia from 6 to 9 p.m. In addition to cocktails and dinner, the evening includes a silent and live auction, and live music performed by Overbrook School for the Blind student musicians.
Tickets to the 2018 Overbrook Experience Dinner are available by contacting Robert Smith, OSB Director of Development at rsmith@obs.org.
For more information about Overbrook School for the Blind, please visit www.obs.org.
###
6333 Malvern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151–2597 USA • 215.877.0313 • www.obs.org
