In this engaging episode of Remarkable World Commentary, host Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Dr. Alan Chase, founder of North Carolina’s EYE Retreat, to trace the camp’s evolution from a post-legislation idea into an 18-year-strong, peer-led summer program that equips blind and visually impaired teens for college, careers, and entrepreneurship. Their lively conversation explores the spark that legislation ignited, the importance of self-advocacy, the power of mentors with lived experience, and the retreat’s hands-on curriculum—everything from classroom workshops to real-world transit, campus, and workplace visits—that helps students build confidence, networks, and practical skills to ‘retreat from no challenge.’
Remarkable World Commentary Episode #27: Interview with Dr. Alan Chase, Director, EyeRetreat.org
In this engaging episode of Remarkable World Commentary, host Donna J. Jodhan sits down with Dr. Alan Chase, founder of North Carolina’s EYE Retreat, to trace the camp’s evolution from a post-legislation idea into an 18-year-strong, peer-led summer program that equips blind and visually impaired teens for college, careers, and entrepreneurship. Their lively conversation explores the spark that legislation ignited, the importance of self-advocacy, the power of mentors with lived experience, and the retreat’s hands-on curriculum—everything from classroom workshops to real-world transit, campus, and workplace visits—that helps students build confidence, networks, and practical skills to ‘retreat from no challenge.’