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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Mon Jul 23, 2001 2:57 pm Subject: Project for Deaf in developing countries | |
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SignWriting List July 23, 2001 Dear SignWriting List Members: I just received this information. It is a new project to help Deaf people in developing countries. Although this project has nothing to do with SignWriting at this time, I hope they will incorporate SignWriting into their program, and I plan to write to them about this. FROM: Kevin Long Hello, I am looking for contacts in developing countries. My name is Kevin Long and I am a Co-Director of a Minnesota based = nonprofit organization called East African Deaf Connection. = www.deafconnection.org Our Mission is to create a new supportive cycle = of Deaf education in developing countries through teacher to teacher = support and mentoring programs. Our mission is an idea that can easily = be repeated in developing countries around the world. That is why we are = restructuring the organization and renaming it to be The Global Deaf = Connection.= We are currently researching other Deaf organizations and/or churches = that are interested in collaborating with our expansion. If you have ANY = contacts of Deaf schools in developing countries that could use support, = please let me know. Warmly, Kevin Long www.deafconnection.org ------------------------------- 1) The Cultural Exchange and Support Services Program This program provides members from the Deaf community with the = opportunity to assist Deaf people in other countries with locally = initiated projects that support schools for Deaf children. Co-directed = by a Deaf American and a Deaf person from the host country, the = volunteers provide mental and physical labor for projects that improve = existing schools for Deaf children. The program focus is on the cultural = exchange for both the American volunteers and the Deaf people in the = host country. Hearing and Deaf volunteers will be recruited for this = program. The over-all goal of the program is to enhance the leadership = and mentorship skills of all volunteers involved.=20 2) The Teaching Skills Exchange Program - Launched in 2000 The Teaching = Skills Exchange program sends teams of Deaf education professionals from = America to Kenya for five weeks where they volunteer at the Deaf high = school in Kenya. The volunteers mentor the Deaf students and improve the = communication skills of the hearing teachers at that Deaf school. The = Deaf Kenyan students, for the first time, are inspired by successful = Deaf adults. The hearing teachers improve their sign language which = allows them to communicate their knowledge to the students. This program = creates a launch pad for the Furthering Education program. The Teaching = Skills Exchange program has been step one of the new cycle.=20 3) The Furthering Education Program - Launched in 1999 The Furthering Education Program, building off the Teaching Skills = Exchange Program, sponsors Deaf Kenyan high school graduates into a = teacher training college (located in Kenya) with full-time Kenyan Sign = Language interpreters. This model program is a first-of-a-kind for all = of Africa, that demonstrates equal access to education . The Deaf Kenyan = students graduate from teacher training college and are hired by the = Kenyan government to teach at a school for Deaf children. As a Deaf = Kenyan teacher, they become a life-time mentor for the Deaf students at = their school and a permanent Kenyan Sign Language instructor for the = hearing teachers. The Furthering Education program is step two of the = new cycle.=20 4) The Teacher to Teacher Program - Launch Date 2002 The Teacher to Teacher Program, building off of the Furthering Education = Program, will be a mentoring program that connects a Deaf education = teacher from America with a beginning Deaf teacher in Kenya. The = American volunteer, for five weeks, works one on one with a new Deaf = Kenyan teacher. The American volunteer will develop a supportive and = mentoring relationship with the Deaf Kenyan that will continue via email = after the one on one mentoring in Kenya is completed. The Teacher to = Teacher program establishes a long lasting support system and a personal = mentor for the new Deaf Kenyan teacher. The goal of the American = volunteer is to support the new Deaf Kenyan teacher so that he or she = can be a future mentor for the next Deaf Kenyan teacher to work at their = school. The experience will be one of professional interaction and = exchange based on respect for each other's culture. The Teacher to = Teacher program is the third step of the new cycle. The Teacher to = Teacher program brings my concept full circle and lays the ground work = for the cycle to continue on its own.=20 kills Exchange program sends teams of Deaf education professionals from = merica to Kenya for five weeks where they volunteer at the Deaf high = chool in Kenya. The volunteers mentor the Deaf students and improve the = ommunication skills of the hearing teachers at that Deaf school. The = eaf Kenyan students, for the first time, are inspired by successful = eaf adults. The hearing teachers improve their sign language which = llows them to communicate their knowledge to the students. This program = reates a launch pad for the Furthering Education program. The Teaching = kills Exchange program has been step one of the new cycle.=20 3) The Furthering Education Program - Launched in 1999 The Furthering Education Program, building off the Teaching Skills = xchange Program, sponsors Deaf Kenyan high school graduates into a = eacher training college (located in Kenya) with full-time Kenyan Sign = anguage interpreters. This model program is a first-of-a-kind for all = f Africa, that demonstrates equal access to education . The Deaf Kenyan = tudents graduate from teacher training college and are hired by the = Kenyan government to teach at a school for Deaf children. As a Deaf = enyan teacher, they become a life-time mentor for the Deaf students at = their school and a permanent Kenyan Sign Language instructor for the = earing teachers. The Furthering Education program is step two of the = ew cycle.=20 4) The Teacher to Teacher Program - Launch Date 2002 The Teacher to Teacher Program, building off of the Furthering Education = rogram, will be a mentoring program that connects a Deaf education = eacher from America with a beginning Deaf teacher in Kenya. The = merican volunteer, for five weeks, works one on one with a new Deaf = enyan teacher. The American volunteer will develop a supportive and = entoring relationship with the Deaf Kenyan that will continue via email = fter the one on one mentoring in Kenya is completed. The Teacher to = eacher program establishes a long lasting support system and a personal = entor for the new Deaf Kenyan teacher. The goal of the American = olunteer is to support the new Deaf Kenyan teacher so that he or she = an be a future mentor for the next Deaf Kenyan teacher to work at their = chool. The experience will be one of professional interaction and = xchange based on respect for each other's culture. The Teacher to = eacher program is the third step of the new cycle. The Teacher to = eacher program brings my concept full circle and lays the ground work = or the cycle to continue on its own.=20 |
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