Cane Quest | Natlie Armstrong
Natalie Armstrong is in her third year at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Double majoring in Spanish and speech and language pathology, Natalie wants to be a bilingual language pathologist after she graduates. The oldest of three, Natalie and her younger siblings were all awarded Let’s Choose Love grants this Spring! For her grant, Natalie wants to use the funds to support an event she is passionate about, Cane Quest.
A few years ago, Natalie’s mom organized a volunteer opportunity for their homeschool group to help out at the Oklahoma School for the Blind. Every year, the school participates in the Cane Quest competition, “a challenging orientation and mobility program designed for students in grades 3-12.” Natalie, her siblings, and other students from her homeschool group volunteered to support students during Cane Quest.
“I also have some physical disabilities that make it hard for me to do a lot of physical activity. This project was something I was able to do and help with. I had so much fun the first time that I wanted to keep doing it. It was apparent that I was one of the only young volunteers, and the kids were excited for me to come back.”
After volunteering at the event for the past few years, Natalie wanted to help make the day even more special for the students competing. She noticed that many of the prizes for the competition were small and low quality, prizes the students could have been more excited to win. So she applied for a grant to purchase some more fun & exciting prizes for Cane Quest competitors.
What inspired you to apply for a Let’s Choose Love Grant?
“It was mostly one kid that I was inspired by, a kid I worked with a few years ago. He was pretty young, like 10-11, and we went and looked at the prizes before the competition. He saw a pair of headphones, but they were cheap from the dollar strong, and that was all he wanted. We worked so hard the whole day to get a lot of points to get the headphones and finish first. He worked so hard and did get the headphones in the end.”
Realizing how excited and motivated students were, she thought they deserved prizes that would hold up over time, quality things that students could really work towards. “I thought if I get the Let’s Choose Love grant, I can buy them better prizes, like better headphones!”
“I believe the schools for the blind around the country do really important work, and I really admire them. I think they deserve a lot of funding because they give these kids life skills that they need for their entire lives. These schools teach blind students how to be independent. I would like to bring more awareness to Cane Quest and how it is a really cool thing. Maybe, people with more money can fund Cane Quest in the future because they always need more funding. It is a cool thing, and we are literally helping blind kids.”
What is Cane Quest, and how does it work?
“Students practice skills all year. It is a culmination of skills they work on, like pouring water, signing their name, getting into a car, protecting their heads, and stuff like that. It is a progression of skills that get harder over time, and they are tested on the skills they practice the whole year. The competition is an incentive to do well, but their skills will build over time regardless.”
Natalie said she even put on a blindfold and tried to do the obstacle course one year. She said she was surprised at how much she relies on her eyes!
Younger students, grades 3-6, are paired with a sighted adult and navigate a route to earn points. In this obstacle course, students demonstrate their mastery of basic orientation and mobility skills as they earn coins for prizes. Older competitors, 7-12 grade, complete secret routes in their community using proper travel techniques and appropriate cane skills based on a set of auditory instructions. These competitors are challenged to complete the route independently but are accompanied by ‘shadow’ volunteers to ensure their safety.
What impact do you expect this project to have on the community?
“I suppose I hope to make a really good memory; I hope this Cane Quest will be really exciting and that the students are excited to be a part of it. If the prizes are good and cool, they will remember this Cane Quest. I don’t think it will have a giant impact but more a good memory they will remember for years to come.”
Natalie’s project is an excellent example of how a small act of kindness can have a significant impact and create a positive ripple effect in her community. Never underestimate the power of kindness. By showing up for the students at the Oklahoma School for the Blind and supporting them as they gain skills for living independent lives, Natalie is creating a memory and relationship with these students that they will remember forever. Who knows how this act of LOVE will be paid forward over time!!
