Miami Lighthouse for the Blind

10/23/2026

Join us in wishing Happy Birthday to Sama the guide dog! 🎂🎉

Today, Sama turns 5 years old, pictured here she's smiling with her owner Virginia Jacko, President & CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. 👏🦮

A note from Virginia-

"Thanks to the world-class Guiding Eyes for the Blind breeding of Labrador retrievers, and the concentrated 2 years of puppy training which includes the dedicated commitment of Puppy Raisers like Jane Santy, Sama is the perfect guide dog.

What the public often does not know is that for someone who is blind like myself, a service dog like Sama 𝘪𝘴 my eyes. My safe mobility depends on Sama. For example, she is trained to stop at curbs, to stop at stairs, and much more.

Going back to the 1950's, Guiding Eyes for the Blind has had the longest lineage of breeding Labradors for service and seeing eye dogs.

Thank you, to Guiding Eyes and Jane for my Sama, together you have continued to give me the gift of mobility, and together, we prove it's possible to see without sight!"

💙 Guiding Eyes for the Blind - Puppy Program

To learn more about Guiding Eyes for the Blind, visit https://www.guidingeyes.org/

10/22/2026

Don't miss out on your chance to witness this incredible tactile art by Miami Lighthouse for the Blind artists! The 'America Touched, America Seen' exhibition, located inside the Anthony R. Abraham Gallery at the Coral Gables Museum, closes on November 1st, 2026. 🖼️

This gorgeous collective body of work is an inspiring example of our motto: Together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 💙

We thank our event sponsors, the Division of Arts and Culture, the State of Florida, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the Coral Gables Museum for supporting this creative endeavor.

We thank our Supervisor of Fine Arts & Art Education, Aaron Hill for continuing to lead Miami Lighthouse artists to these wonderfully inclusive artistic opportunities.

🦅 To learn more about this exhibition, visit → https://coralgablesmuseum.org/project/america-touched-america-seen/

🎨 To contribute to Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's arts and music programs, with your donation having even more impact, consider our Wildflower Foundation Matching Challenge, where the Wildflower Foundation will match every donation to our arts and music programs! Learn more here → https://secure.miamilighthouse.org/WildFlowerFoundation.asp

10/22/2026

Big smiles from these little ones having playdough fun while learning in class at Miami Lighthouse Academy. For students such as ours, with visual impairment and blindness, getting hands-on with tactile activities helps them "see" without sight. 🤲💚

Our accredited classrooms provide an inclusive environment for students from age 1 to 4th grade to learn, grow, and thrive!

🍎 Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
• Free Preschool through 4th Grade for visually impaired or blind students
• Ages 1-4: Free for visually impaired or blind students
• Free VPK for sighted 4-year-olds
• Free transportation for visually impaired or blind students, ages 1 through 4th grade.

📣 Call (786) 362-7483, or visit MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org to learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour today!

Together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 💙

All of our Academy classes, from toddlers to fourth grade, have Florida Certified classroom teachers as well as certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI).

Miami Lighthouse Academy Accreditations include: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, and our Academy is a Gold Seal Quality Care accredited provider in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Our Academy is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education

10/21/2026

10/19/2026

🧸 Precious moments from Grandparents Day at Miami Lighthouse Academy, where we honored the grandparents of our students with a breakfast spread, art gifts created by students, and provided tactile activities and hands-on games, ideal for students with visual impairment and blindness, making a special memory for our cherished grandparents with their grandchildren. We 💙 you!

🍎 Miami Lighthouse Academy offers-
• Free Preschool through 4th Grade for Visually Impaired or Blind students
• Ages 1-4: Free for Visually Impaired or Blind students
• Free VPK for sighted 4-year-olds
• Free transportation for Visually Impaired or Blind students, ages 1 through 4th grade.

There are 2 different types of 4-year-old student groups, Visually Impaired or Blind students whom are not VPK, and VPK which are sighted students; both groups learn together in our inclusive Academy preschool.

📣 Call (786) 362-7483, or visit www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org to learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour today!

Together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 💙

All of our Academy classes, from toddlers to fourth grade, have Florida Certified classroom teachers as well as certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI).

Miami Lighthouse Academy Accreditations include: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER Aware, and our Academy is a Gold Seal Quality Care accredited provider in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Our Academy is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education

10/17/2026

At our White Cane Day celebration, the City of Miami Fire Rescue brought their firetruck for Miami Lighthouse Academy students to explore! 🦯🚒

For students such as ours, with visual impairment and blindness, getting hands-on with tactile learning is an exciting and immersive way to learn ✋.

Our students had a blast checking out the inside and outside of the firetruck, asking the firemen all their questions, and taking home their very own fire hats and firetruck-themed goodies!🧯👨‍🚒 The experience was truly unforgettable for our little ones.

Thank you, Miami Fire Rescue, for providing our students with this special inclusive experience, and participating again in our annual White Cane Day Walk! Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight! 💙

To learn more about White Cane Day at Miami Lighthouse for the blind, and to view the event photos albums, check out our Facebook post at this link- www.facebook.com/share/r/1J4KfhtaaZ/

To learn more about Miami Lighthouse Academy, visit www.MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org

Our Academy is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education

10/17/2026

Yesterday, we celebrated White Cane Day at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, and our entire community showed up and OUT, with over 200 people attending! This epic event included a parade with over 150 individuals who are blind and visually impaired marching through the streets of Little Havana, escorted by the City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue departments. 👟🎺👏

On White Cane Day, we celebrate the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired, and raise awareness about the importance of the white cane as a symbol of blindness and tool of independence, with our White Cane Day Walk. 🦯

After the walk, our community enjoyed live performances by the Miami Lighthouse Choir, speeches by Community Leaders, and an exciting raffle made possible by our sponsors, and so much more.

The Miami Herald Director of Community Affairs, Raymond Dueñas, emceed the event, with two proclamations announced, The White Can Day proclamation by Commissioner Eileen Higgins on behalf of the City of Miami, and the Under Syndrome Day Proclamation, by Samantha Murphy of 305 Hive.

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind was also presented with a Citation of Recognition for our invaluable contributions to the community for White Cane Day by the Honorable Dariel Fernandez, the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector.

Thanks to Miami Fire Rescue, Miami Lighthouse Academy students with visual impairment had a blast checking out the inside and outside of the firetruck, and asking the firemen all their questions!

Leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, including School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas, Superintendent Rafael Villa Lobos, and Assistant Superintendent Angie Torrez, as well as former Mayor Thomas Regalado, received a VIP tour of our Miami Lighthouse Academy, led by Miami Lighthouse for the Blind President & CEO Virginia Jacko, Miami Lighthouse Chief Program Officer Carol Brady-Simmons, and Miami Lighthouse Academy Director Mara Gonzalez.

📸 Photo album links-
Community Moments at White Cane Day 2026, Firetruck Fun and Group Photos - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1732419385551622&type=3
All the photos from the White Cane Day Walk parade- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1732423408884553&type=3
Miami Lighthouse Academy VIP Tour- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1732426248884269&type=3

🙏🙏🙏

We thank Miami Lighthouse Board Director Milly Montes and our community Montes Family McDonald's for donating lunch to attendees!

We thank the City of Miami Police Department, including Commander Maurice Pons and Sergeant Vazquez, and the City of Miami Department of Fire-Rescue for keeping everyone safe.

We thank our super generous sponsors! Check out the comments on this post for the full list of the White Cane Day 2026 sponsors 🙏💙.

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight! 💙

10/17/2026

At Miami Lighthouse for the Blind's White Cane Day Celebration, leaders from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, including School Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas, Superintendent Rafael Villalobos, and Assistant Superintendent Angie Torres, as well as former Mayor Thomas Regalado, received a VIP tour of our Miami Lighthouse Academy, led by Miami Lighthouse for the Blind President & CEO Virginia Jacko, Miami Lighthouse Chief Program Officer Carol Brady-Simmons, and Miami Lighthouse Academy Director Mara Gonzalez. 🙏

To learn more about White Cane Day at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, check out our Facebook post here- https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1J4KfhtaaZ/

🍎 Miami Lighthouse Academy Offers-
• Preschool through 4th Grade: FREE for Visually Impaired or Blind students
• Ages 1-4: FREE for Visually Impaired or Blind students
• Free VPK for sighted 4-year-olds
• Free transportation for Visually Impaired or Blind students, ages 1 through 4th grade

There are 2 different types of 4-year-old student groups in our Academy, Visually Impaired or Blind students whom are not VPK, and VPK which are sighted students; both groups learn together in our inclusive Academy preschool.

📣 Call (786) 362-7483, or visit MiamiLighthouseAcademy.org to learn more, register your child, or book an Academy tour today!

Together, we prove it’s possible to see without sight!™ 💙

All Academy classes, from toddlers to fourth grade, have Florida Certified classroom teachers as well as certified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI).

Miami Lighthouse Academy Accreditations include: FACCM APPLE Public, FAER, and our Academy is a Gold Seal Quality Care accredited provider in partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Our Academy is made possible with support from: The Children's Trust, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Florida Department of Education.

10/17/2026

Yesterday, we celebrated White Cane Day at Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, and our entire community showed up and OUT, with over 200 people attending! This epic event included a parade with over 150 individuals who are blind and visually impaired marching through the streets of Little Havana, escorted by the City of Miami Police and Fire Rescue departments. 👟🎺👏

On White Cane Day, we celebrate the independence of people who are blind or visually impaired, and raise awareness about the importance of the white cane as a symbol of blindness and tool of independence, with our White Cane Day Walk. 🦯

After the walk, our community enjoyed live performances by the Miami Lighthouse Choir, speeches by Community Leaders, and an exciting raffle made possible by our sponsors, and so much more.

To learn more about White Cane Day at Miami Lighthouse for the blind, check out our Facebook post here- https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1J4KfhtaaZ/

Together, we prove it's possible to see without sight! 💙