Visually impaired music students enjoy multisensory experience at Zoo Miami

MIAMI – Last week, more than 30 Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired music program students spent the day at Zoo Miami for a multisensory educational experience.

The middle and high school students began their guided tour learning about Everglades wildlife and conservation efforts. They used their senses to experience a parrot feeding, interact with staff and organic materials from the Zoo Miami Foundation Education Department and engage in hands-on creative play. The day culminated with students painting a large cardboard box that will be turned into a puzzle feeder. The enrichment item will be given to Zoo Miami’s animal residents to engage and encourage their natural behaviors.

“The multisensory experience at Zoo Miami reinforced what we teach here at Miami Lighthouse, that it’s possible to see without sight,” said Virginia Jacko, President and CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “Every student, whether blind or visually impaired, was able to interact with the animals through their sense of touch, smell and hearing, and for all of our students, the auditory information made a profound difference.”

Miami Lighthouse’s Music Program is a leader in music education and facilitation for the blind and visually impaired and one of the only organizations in the nation offering all-inclusive music, audio instruction, and youth development programs

To find out more, visit https://miamilighthouse.org/