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SEPTEMBER IS DEAF AWARENESS MONTH
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Hi Reader,
Did you know that ASL is 3rd most used language in the United States - and the State of Nebraska officially recognized ASL as a language in 2020? To celebrate Deaf Awareness Month, we want to highlight some of the individuals working in the Deaf Community, who are making language access a reality for those who are deaf and hard of hearing.
First, meet Ashley Altman, the Youth and Family Advocacy Specialist at the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCDHH). Ashley is also a Nebraska Licensed Intermediary Deaf Interpreter.
The NCDHH serves the deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing population in the State of Nebraska. Ashley’s primary focus is on deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing children from birth to 19 years old and their families. She works closely with providers to ensure they are providing proper services to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families, and she works with families themselves. She notes that her work comes together with World Speaks, as we provide ASL education to family members seeking to learn, and work together with Ashley & her team to educate the community on the importance of ASL.
Ashley shared that her work today is rooted in her experiences growing up in both deaf schools and public schools, which caused her to see and experience the barriers that deaf and hard of hearing individuals have to face. She told us, “My mom was very fortunate to discover resources regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing communities from her doctor. She decided it was the best option to start learning American Sign Language to be able to communicate with me since I was 6 months old. She also communicated with me through spoken English, with both communication methods I became a bilingual person since I can communicate through ASL and spoken English. The resources and information she received made me a successful bilingual deaf woman today.” We are so glad she found the passion to work with deaf and hard-of-hearing youth and their families!
Deaf Awareness Month is important to Ashley because it “helps increase awareness about the deaf community. It helps increase the recognition of a variety of sign languages, and deaf cultures and helps to promote inclusion within the communities.”
Next, we’d like to introduce you to Kari Analco, who teaches ASL classes with World Speaks! Kari previously taught ASL at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. Kari’s love of teaching & developing curriculum, drew her to World Speaks. Through the ASL Classes, she has the opportunity to do both. “I love how teaching ASL allows me to move around and express myself fully, making the learning process engaging and dynamic.” Everyone who has taken Kari’s classes knows how engaging they can be!
Kari says that Deaf Awareness Month is important because it provides the Deaf community with a “platform to educate the hearing community about our accessibility needs and our unique culture. Many in the hearing community want to learn about Deaf culture but may be too afraid to ask or lack the opportunity. This month creates that space for learning and understanding.”
One of those needs? Having experts on the Deaf community who are part of the Deaf community. She explains that in many cases, individuals in the medical and educational fields position themselves as experts on deafness, even though most have no idea what it's like to be Deaf, which can lead to families of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children not always learning ASL. “It’s disappointing that hearing parents are not always encouraged to learn sign language for their Deaf or hard-of-hearing children. Learning sign language guarantees access to communication, especially if cochlear implants or hearing aids don’t work for the child. Sign language should always be recommended in addition to assistive technology. Deaf children also take off their hearing devices when they go to bed or swim, so sign language remains an essential and beautiful way for them to communicate. This is why I’m grateful for nonprofit organizations like World Speaks, which exist to build community through learning languages.”
We are so grateful for people like Ashley & Kari, who regularly share their knowledge of and love for the Deaf community with World Speaks students & the community at large!
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SEPTEMBER 15 - OCTOBER 15 MARKS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH |
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September is a busy month in the language space because, in addition to Deaf Awareness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15 and runs through October 15. Spanish is one of our other popular language classes, and all of the World Speaks Staff speak Spanish as their first or second language! We've asked our Programs Manager, Paulina Campos Guzman, who is from Chile, about Hispanic Heritage Month.
"I am proud to celebrate and honor Hispanic/Latin American cultures and their contributions to the United States and the World. I love our culture, traditions, music, food, and everything related to being Latina. Every time I have the opportunity to share about it, it makes me happy. With all my family back in South America, having others who share the same traditions, language, and similar stories makes me feel understood, supported, and at home."
When asked how her work with World Speaks ties into Hispanic Heritage Month , Paulina shares, "The sizable Hispanic/Latino population in Omaha allows us to actively engage with the community. We offer interpretation, translation, and educational services, and we have strong ties to the Hispanic/Latino community starting with our staff members including myself. We are committed to understanding the community's needs and exploring opportunities to develop new programs and work with other organizations to address those needs." She notes that through the community courses, she loves being able to interact with Spanish speakers who want to improve their English skills, and those who volunteer to engage with students in our community courses to share their stories & culture. She also notes she loves the "safe & comfortable space" that World Speaks has created so we can all learn from each other, and is proud of the language resources that World Speaks has created to introduce the community to the language.
If you've been considering learning Spanish through World Speaks, Paulina has an inspiring message for you! "Learning Spanish will bring you closer to a significant part of the Omaha community. Every Spanish-speaking country is a universe on its own. Learning Spanish will allow you to interact with new people, learn about incredible life stories, understand their perspectives, and experience different cultures and ways of living." She made sure to remind everyone that we are here to assist you in your language learning journey, whether you are a beginner or have some experience with the language, through our affordable and easy-to-follow courses every spring, summer, and fall, as well as our year-round private tutoring program.
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WORLD SPEAKS HELPS FILM STREAMS CELEBRATE MEXICAN FILM NOIR |
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Film Streams is celebrating Mexican Noir Film with a Mexican Noir Series curated by international film expert, founder of the Morelia International Film Festival and curator of the Mexican Noir Series, Daniela Michel from September – October 3. Featuring films not available anywhere else in the US, the series features La Noche Avanza (The Night Falls) from 1952, Distinto Amanecer (Another Dawn) from 1943 and La Diosa Arrodillada (The Kneeling Goddess) from 1947.
On September 6, the World Speaks team joined Film Streams for their Reel Talk Pro event featuring a screening of the 1954 classic La Otra (The Other One), along with a post-screening discussion featuring Daniela Michel and Oscar®-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne. World Speaks was on hand to provide on-site interpretation for the event and provided translation for the captions for some clips that were shown. It was an amazing event, and we were so excited to be able to make it accessible for members of the community who wanted to attend!
While the Reel Talk Pro event has passed, you can still see the rest of the Mexican Noir Film Series at Film Streams through October 3! To find show times, visit their website: https://filmstreams.org/series/mexican-noir
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SUMMER CLASSES ENDING - AND FALL CLASSES STARTING! |
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Our second round of Summer classes ended in late August, and we are so proud of everyone who joined us to learn a new language! Pictured on the right are graduates from our Conversational Spanish 101 class!
Fall classes are gearing up to start in late September with ASL, Conversational Spanish 101 & 102 and ESL!
Our classes are powered by a grant from the Weitz Family Foundation and happen thanks to incredible instructors and volunteer mentors/native speakers who join us!
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Want to join World Speaks in our work? There are several ways you can do so!
- Volunteer! We are currently recruiting for one board position (an individual with a legal background) and we are always looking for native speakers interested in being in-class mentors. We’d love to have you join us this spring!
- Donate - Your donation at any time of year allows us to continue to offer free programming & services!
- Visit our store for unique World Speaks t-shirts, tote bags and sweatshirts featuring “I speak two languages. What’s Your Superpower?”
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- Language Justice Training with Douglas County Health Department and Community Language Cooperative (CLC) (October 3)
- Fall Classes Start (September 17)
- Nebraska Association For Translators and Interpreters Conference (September 27)
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Thanks for being a part of World Speaks!
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