Second Sign Language Classes Begin

One of Deaf Empowerment’s major goals is to provide ASL and Deaf Culture instruction to the community. Our goal is to ensure more people are able to use American Sign Language and understand the unique challenges of Deaf and Hard of Hearing people.

In April Deaf Empowerment began offering it’s second ASL class. About 30 people signed up for the basic American Sign Language course. The class is held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Valley Packaging Industries [VPI]. VPI has donated the use of their classroom for this purpose.

Deaf Empowerment is also in the process of developing a three tiered curriculum for sign language classes… beginners, intermediate and advanced levels of ASL.

A committee has been formed and is being chaired by board member Rev. Gisele Berninghaus along with Faye Jordan, Scott Seefeld, and Jean Laux, to develop a curriculum and begin planning for future classes.

One exciting development is that we’ve come to an agreement with ThedaCare to offer sign language classes in conjunction with their community instruction programs. The first of these courses will be an intermediate 12-week ASL class starting on September 2 at Neenah’s TheadaClark hospital on Thursday evenings. A basic ASL course will be starting September 13 to be held on Monday evenings at the New London hopsital. Fliers for these classes can be downloaded from our website at www.deafe.org, as well as notes on other classes.

The planning committee is also looking for individuals who would be interested in teaching sign language classes. The instructor must be fluent in American Sign Language and able to provide an interactive learning environment for the students who have signed up to learn. It is Deaf Empowerment’s goal that the intermediate and advanced courses be taught by a Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual. If you are interested, please contact Gisele Berninghaus by email at gisele@deafe.org or by telephone at (920) 968-1196.