Dr. Mona Minkara and her team at the University of Minnesota recently created a STEM curriculum to be utilized by a blind camp in Lebanon.

Dr. Mona Minkara is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Chemistry. Her goal is to one day obtain a faculty position that would give her the opportunity to teach and do research.

She is also passionate about bringing STEM, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, to those who would not have the opportunities otherwise.

Her team including John Hamill and Connor Venteicher, built a STEM curriculum for a camp in Lebanon ran by a non-profit called empowerment through Integration.

Dr. Mona Minkara lost most of her sight at age 7 and now has less than 2 percent of vision in only one eye. Through her educational journey she has been very appreciative of those who helped her along the way and is committed to helping others.

Join us as she talks about her passion and the STEP program and how we can make changes in the low expectations that stand in our way.

You can find out more about Dr. Mona Minkara on the web at www.MonaMinkara.com

You can also find out about all her techniques and devices that she employed along her

educational and science journey. www.MonaMinkara.com/scientist-tools/

See Transcription below.

This podcast is underwritten in part by State Services for the Blind-Live Work Read Succeed.

Thank you for listening!

You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities

On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

Send us an email

Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store.

Transcription:

A Passion for Science, Dr. Mona Minkara Changes Lives with STEM Curriculum. (Transcription provided)

[Soft Piano Music]

Welcome the Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson.

Dr. Mona Minkara:

I think sometimes we are so limited about what we believe our abilities are. And what society tells us our abilities are.

If people just truly followed their passions, and others didn’t stop and stand in their way, I think-

I think we would have a better world to live in.

Jeff:

A passion for STEM. Dr. Mona Minkara

Mona:

All the kids, both sighted and blind, do all the activities was a blindfold;

so that everyone could understand and recognize the fact that this is possible, without sight.

I myself don’t know many other blind scientists, and I want to see that to be- to change. I want that to change.

I want to see more blind scientists. I think that we could solve problems, and think about problems completely differently.

Jeff:

STEM. Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

Mona:

That doctor had told my mom that it wasn’t worth spending a penny on my education, because I was gonna be blind anyways.

But, as my life went on to prove, it wasn’t I who had limited vision, but he!

Jeff:

For more podcasts with the blindness perspective; check us out on the web at www.BlindAbilities.com

On twitter @BlindAbilities

And download our free app from the App store. That’s two words: “Blind Abilities.”

Mona:

We wanted the materials to be low-cost, so that it was affordable. So we had them build a record player completely just out of paper, tape, and a pin; and it worked.

Jeff:

Dr. Mona Minkara,