***FULLY FUNDED - THANK YOU!!***

Hearing people often think of deafness as simply an inability to hear. Being Deaf, though, is about more than just whether or not a person can hear—it's about being part of a community with its own history, values, and culture. Because 90% of deaf children are born to two hearing parents, many of these children are not raised in a household that uses sign language fluently or that teaches them about this important piece of their identity. Bell’s new Deaf culture residency will kick off during International Week of the Deaf in September, with a five-day celebration of Deaf culture that can be enjoyed by staff and students in all three programs. Students in Bell’s deaf department will then take part in a ten-week program where Deaf/hard-of-hearing adults from the community will educate them about their own culture, customs, history, and tools and technology they can use in their everyday lives. We believe that these lessons and open conversations will promote our deaf and hard-of-hearing students’ self-respect and foster a sense of pride in their identity, and ultimately will foster better connections between Bell’s deaf, neighborhood, and options programs. We thank you for your generous support of this exciting new opportunity!