Crazy! The start of the school year is just around ...
Our Deaf Youth Today Program had a wonderful summer beginning with Camp Latona on Gambier Island and ending with Camp Arbuckle in Kelowna last week with several weeks of day camps in between!
Thank you to Terry Maloney, Hilary Potter and Andrea Maloney for all the planning and long hours they POURED into making a safe and fun summer happen!
Also - a big thanks to our DYT Summer Staff:
Cameron Epp (Team Leader 2024)
Christiano Batista
Jazmine Talosig
Jimber Tan
Kareem Mansouri
Meigan Younghusband
Paul Pengchao
Roman Cleeve
Raneses Xyrex
Teanna Kay
YOUTUBE VIDEO - Vancouver Sun Run
At various points throughout the video - FNDC/DYT’s current staff, former staff and our DYT campers are featured!
The YouTube video is 16 minutes and you will see familiar faces throughout the video!
PS - Start training for FNDC/DYT’s team for 2025 Vancouver Sun Run!
JOB Openings in the BC School System
Note from FNDC:
The following educational positions from kindergarten to grade 12 have been listed on Make a Future BC (www.makeafuture.ca) this summer and remain unfilled as of today. As I compiled these job postings for this newsletter, I was struck by the significant number of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students in British Columbia who will return to school in a few weeks without essential classroom support such as interpreters, education assistants, intervenors, and teachers specializing in Deaf and Hard of Hearing education. The current situation in British Columbia reflects a critical shortage of resources for our DHH students, youth, and adults.
FNDC is actively addressing this situation and is diligently informing both provincial and federal governments about the existing skills shortages. Our aim is to encourage the development of incentives and programs to tackle this pressing issue effectively.
We are fellow parents of DHH children and have struggled to find child-focused ASL instruction for our children who use ASL as an additional language. Kera's child is Hard of Hearing and uses spoken English as their primary language. Nora has one child who is Deaf and uses ASL as their primary language, and has a second child who is hearing and uses ASL as an additional language. Currently, there are no in-person ASL classes available for our school-aged children who use ASL as an additional language.
We are seeking other families who need in-person ASL classes for their school-aged children. In addition to DHH children who use ASL as their primary language, ASL classes should be available to DHH kids who use ASL as an additional language, hearing siblings of DHH children, and hearing children of DHH adults. We want to build a community in which all our children can connect and thrive, regardless of their hearing status.
Please fill out this short (one-minute) survey before Friday, September 13 to let us know your interest in in-person ASL classes. Once we understand the needs of the community, we will approach Provincial Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (PDHHS) and Provincial Outreach Program: Deaf and Hard of Hearing (POPDHH) with a request that they provide weekly child-focused in-person ASL classes.
Family Network for Deaf Children will have some of our DYT Staff at the camp for the weekend.
Family’s Playgroup, Let’s Play Together
(In person and virtually)
Host: Deaf Children's Society of BC
Description: The program includes language play through ASL rhyme and rhythm. It offers a unique opportunity to promote secure attachment and brain development, providing you with the tools to support emotional growth and healthy parent-child relationships. We welcome hearing and deaf parents and grandparents to join us for a gathering.
Date: Wednesdays starting September 18, 9:30 am to 11:30 am
Location: 7355 Canada Way, Burnaby, BC Room 200 and Zoom
Contact info: Ingrid Schum at ischum@deafchildren.bc.ca
Communication Stars Specialized Childcare
BC Family Hearing Resource Society
Communication Stars is a specialized, bilingual-bicultural childcare program (ASL and English). Spaces available for children aged 30 months to 5 years.
ONLINE CONFERENCE - DHH Children with Special Needs
6th Annual Scarlett's Park Conference, taking place virtually on September 20 and 21, 2024. This year's theme is "Joy, Resilience, and Hope," featuring inspiring presentations and engaging discussions that you won't want to miss.
Register today at bit.ly/ScarlettsPark to secure your spot and join us in celebrating these inspiring themes.
BC Deaf Scholarship Trust (BCDST) Recipient: Gabriel Kamaev
from: POPDHH Newsletter
This year's winner of the BC Deaf Scholarship Trust BCDST - Gabriel Kamaev from Burnaby, pictured here with Terry Maloney, the POPDHH Vice-Principal.
Gabriel's TDHH Danica Cash provided a short bio: Gabriel has been attending mainstream school in the Burnaby School district from kindergarten through to grade 12. He is Deaf from a Deaf family.
Gabriel has been accepted to the British Columbia Institute for Technology (BCIT) and will start attending in September 2024. During his years at school, Gabe had to overcome many accessibility obstacles to achieve success. In grade eight Gabriel taught an ASL class to his peers and teachers. Many students and staff at his high school were interested in learning more ASL after working with Gabe, and have now continued their ASL studies in formal courses and through his sister’s ASL club.
Gabriel was also a FNDC/DYT camp counsellor where he worked with Deaf youth during summer camp and built connections with his Deaf peers. He has found a way to connect with his Deaf peers online and through community groups. He built connections with the Deaf community that he was not able to experience at school. Many of the teachers at Gabe’s school are now stronger, more inclusive in their practices after working with him. They include more visuals, give written copies of notes, and remember to turn on the captioning function when using PowerPoint. Gabe advocated for what he needed in his classes and left a legacy of improved access.
ALLIES in DEAFHOOD - WEBINAR
Allies in Deafhood coming in September! A 3-hour workshop designed for hearing people such as Parents/ Family members, ASL Students, Co-workers/ Employers, Disability/ Access Coordinators, etc. who are interested in learning how they can become a great ally for Deaf people. Contents of workshop includes differences between deafness vs Deafhood, why we use “surdinalism” in the understanding of our individual and collective experience/ history, and an expanded definition of Audism. A voice interpreter is provided for this workshop. SEE FLYER BELOW
Date: September 26th, 2024 Time: 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM CST Location: Online (ZOOM Webinar) Cost: $35 (CEUs $10) Audience: Hearing Facilitator: DeAnna Swope Last day to register: September 25, 2024 Register: www.deafhood.org/events
