PaTTAN DHH Repository Update

Happy New Year! We hope your 2024 is off to a great start and that you all had a wonderful, restful holiday and break.

Please be sure to check out all the highlights and save the dates below, particularly the newly shared information on the PA DHH Summer Academy 2024 and our recently released PA Expanded Core Competencies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

The registration for the webinar with the PA Expanded Core Competencies is also open! We hope you will be able to attend! There will also be an opportunity for networking during the webinar.

Best,

Erin, Jen, Sue Ann & Tara

Your PaTTAN DHH Team

Need to find a teacher of the deaf, educational interpreter, educational audiologist or other professional to work with your DHH students? Please complete this brief form to post your position to the PA DHH Jobs board.

Looking for a DHH-related job in PA schools? Then visit our PA DHH Jobs Board to get the latest info on available positions.

The Pennsylvania Expanded Core Competencies for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (PA ECC-DHH) website is now live at www.paeccdhh.org!

The PA ECC-DHH is a comprehensive description of the unique needs of children/students who are deaf or hard of hearing, including the supplemental learning and functional skills that may be needed to support their educational success and the delivery of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). The resource looks at knowledge standards and skill development for DHH students through the lens of access, and is broken down into 8 content rubric areas:

• Academic Language Development
• Audiology: Hearing & Listening
• Career & Work Readiness
• Communication: American Sign Language
• Communication: Spoken Language
• Self-Determination & Advocacy
• Social-Emotional Competencies
• Technology

Educators working with DHH students can utilize this resource when program and lesson planning, goal writing, assessment and progress monitoring, and more.

A training webinar on the PA ECC-DHH will be held on Wednesday, February 21 from 3:30 to 5:00 pm; registration is now available on the PaTTAN training calendar. The webinar will provide participants updates regarding available supports and resources and the opportunity to network. Ms. Barbara Chubb (Retired ToDHH/ Supervisor), and the PaTTAN Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consultants will introduce the Pennsylvania Expanded Core Competencies for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Act 48 is available.

Finally, programs wishing to receive customized training on the PA ECC-DHH are encouraged to contact their regional PaTTAN consultant to inquire about a customized support request.

PaTTAN has created a shareable flyer that features scannable QR codes and short links to all of the documents and supports related to the PA Communication Plan. Click below to download your copy today!

PaTTAN has a new system to request professional development trainings and technical assistance. Professional Development Customized Supports allows programs to request specific training or technical assistance that addresses a particular challenge or area of need. We will work with you to design a training plan that meets your unique requirements and aligns with your program's goals and objectives. Complete the supports application page to request training for an individual teacher, group of educators, school or program team.

Have questions? Please contact your regional PaTTAN DHH Consultant

February 28 - March 1, 2024 | Hershey, PA

Registration is now open for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Bureau of Special Education Conference. This event offers an opportunity to learn and engage with nationally recognized presenters, as well as families and educators from across the state, highlighting effective instructional strategies and interventions designed to make an educational difference for all students.

Conference registration will close at 4:00pm on Friday, February 13, 2024.

There are also Parent Scholarships: The Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education and PaTTAN are pleased to offer parent scholarships to Pennsylvania residents who have school-age children with a current IEP.

• There are a limited number of scholarships for Pennsylvania parents to attend the conference in person.
• ​There are an unlimited number of scholarships for Pennsylvania parents who plan to attend virtually.
• Parent scholarships cover the cost of the conference registration (in-person or virtual).
• ​For those approved to attend in-person who are traveling 50 miles or more, a scholarship may cover the cost of lodging.

Registration is now open for the 2024 PA Deaf/Hard of Hearing Summer Academy which will be held at Penn State from Sunday, July 14 to Wednesday, July 24, 2024!

The mission of the Summer Academy for High School Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is to provide a supportive environment to assist high school students who are deaf or hard of hearing with learning about all of the skills necessary to successfully transition from high school to post-secondary educational options or to the workforce. During this program, students will receive instruction from each of the five topic areas:

• Assistive Technology
• Audiology
• Vocational Development
• Social-Emotional Skills
• Independent Living Skills

Participants will be given a college dorm room and a roommate within their age range, meals, and t-shirts at no cost to them and their families. There is also no cost to participate in this program, as the program is fully funded by the PA Department of Labor and Industry’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. There will also be plenty of recreational opportunities and opportunities to make new friends and a lifetime of memories throughout the program.

Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in either enrolling in a post-secondary education institute of any kind, or going directly into the workforce after graduating from high school are encouraged to apply. High school students who are anticipated to graduate at the end of this school year are also welcome to apply. Accepted participants need to either have an open case with the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), or are willing to be referred to OVR to have their case opened with them.

For more information or to apply, click here or view the attached flyers below. Questions? Please contact Russ Goddard at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at rgoddard@pa.gov

Mark your calendars - PSAD will once again be holding their youth day on Friday, March 28, 2024 at PaTTAN Harrisburg. More information will be forthcoming soon, so stay tuned!

Camp Hero is a camp for children ages 8 through 17 who are deaf and hard of hearing. The camp runs from Monday, July 29th to Friday, August 2nd, 2024. All forms of communication are supported at Camp HERO. The camp promotes social growth, creativity, self-expression and self-confidence. The campers enjoy activities such as swimming, paddle boating, fishing, rock wall climbing, bonfires, scavenger hunts, crafts, activities associated with the yearly theme, and building friendships that will last a lifetime. Camp HERO is located at the Camp Victory facility in Millville, PA. Camper Application deadline is May 1, 2024.

Save the date! Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf has announced that their Summer Camp will take place between June 17-21, 2024 for students ages 10 - 18. More information will be coming in January on the WPSD website.

Explore Your Future (EYF) is a six-day career exploration program at Rochester Institute of Technology for college-bound deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students who will begin their junior or senior year in fall 2024. This program focuses on personal growth and career awareness for students as they begin to think about college.

There will be 2 sessions of EYF offered in 2024:

• Session I: July 6-11, 2024
• Session II: July 13-18, 2024

The cost to attend EYF is $700 and covers room, board, and all activities—everything but spending money and transportation to the RIT/NTID campus in Rochester, NY. Interested students are encouraged to consult with their Office of Vocational Rehabilitation counselor to see if funds are available to support their attendance; additionally, there are limited need-based scholarships available from RIT/NTID. Many students work with community organizations to fundraise the cost of their transportation and attendance that is not covered by other sources.

Students who attend EYF and enroll at RIT/NTID for college will receive a $1,000 scholarship and an application fee waiver to apply to RIT at no cost.

For more information or to apply, visit the EYF website now.

RIT/NTID Outreach

The RIT/NTID Outreach team are thrilled to announce four fantastic competitions that will be taking place in 2024, offering deaf and hard-of-hearing high school students a chance to showcase their talents, creativity, and innovation. These competitions span diverse fields, catering to a wide range of interests and skills.

Digital Arts, Film, and Animation Competition

This competition is a platform for aspiring digital artists, filmmakers, and animators to display their artistic prowess. Whether your students are passionate about creating stunning visuals, captivating narratives, or intricate animations, this is their opportunity to win a cash prize and a trip to our 2024 summer programs! Students may choose one of our competition categories and submit their best work!

Tiger Gaming League

Gamers, get ready to battle it out! New in 2024, the Tiger Gaming League is the perfect arena to showcase your gaming skills! Students compete against fellow deaf and hard-of-hearing gamers to prove that they are the ultimate gaming champion. Visit our website to discover the different gaming platforms and competition categories. Top finalists will win a trip to the national competition at RIT/NTID!

SpiRIT Writing Competition

This competition is for all wordsmiths and storytellers! SpiRIT Writing welcomes entrants to submit their best prose and poetry. Discover the theme of 2024 and have your students work their magic with words to win a cash prize and trip to our 2024 summer programs!

Next Big Idea: High School

Do your high school students have a brilliant concept or innovation? The Next Big Idea competition welcomes teams of 2-3 students to come up with an innovative product, business, service, or technology. Winners of this competition will win a big cash prize from Z/P Communications for an opportunity to bring their business idea to life! Explore our competition page and see if your students can come up with the Next Big Idea!

If you have any questions or would like to get involved in organizing these events, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at ntidoutreach@rit.edu.

Applications for the Youth Leadership Camp (YLC) Camper and Staff positions for 2024 are now open! Join us for the next chapter of growth and adventure.

Spots Available for Mentees! Deadline is extended and still open!

Join the APR Mentoring Project and learn alongside a current or retired special education teacher, teacher of the deaf, teacher of the visually impaired, special education administrator, or school psychologist. Visit the "Retaining Special Education Personnel" page of the APR Repository for more information, forms, and updates.

Once again, PaTTAN will be posting these opportunities for educational interpreters on our training calendar; interested interpreters who register through PaTTAN will then receive a link to register for the video conferences on the Boys Town website. Space will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and we will announce when registration is open. Questions? Please contact Sue Ann Houser at shouser@pattan.net.

February 3, 2024, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM CT

Ignorance Isn’t Bliss: Equity Implications for Educational Interpreter Supervision

Presented by Whitney Renee Weirick, Ph.D., NIC-Advanced

April 6, 2024, 10:00 AM –2:00 PM CT

Deaf Interpreters in K12 and Administrator Perspectives on Deaf Learners

Presented by Rosemary Wanis, Ed.D., MSW, CDI

Are you or a colleague looking to take the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA)? Did you know that we administer the test at all 3 PaTTAN offices several times per month? We also do not charge a proctoring fee in addition to the registration fee for the exam that is paid to Boys Town National Research Hospital.

For more information on taking the EIPA or to register for the exam, please visit the Boys Town website at www.classroominterpreting.org; click on "Find An Assessment" and then select Pennsylvania. You'll then see the list of all available testing times.

Once again, Dr. Jennifer Craig & the PaTTAN Deaf/Hard of Hearing Initiative will be hosting the Educational Audiology Roundtable series for the 2023-2024 school year. There will also be opportunity to network during these times. All meetings are taking place 9:00 am to 12 noon on the following dates (click each of the dates below to register)

• Thursday, March 14, 2024

• Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Questions? Please contact Dr. Jennifer Craig at jcraig@pattanpgh.net

Then please forward this newsletter to them so that they can sign-up now! Then they will also be able to access previous editions of the DHH Repository.

If you've already signed up for the DHH Professionals' Repository, then visit our DHH Professionals Google Folder for previous updates, links, and resources. Not signed up yet? Click here.

PaTTAN now offers curated resources and information specifically for families of deaf/hard of hearing, deaf-blind, and blind/visually-impaired students through its Family Resource Group! Interested families can click Sign-Up Now below to get this valuable information delivered right to their inboxes every month and all they need to share is an email address. No information about their child needs to be shared beyond the type of information in which they'd be interested (i.e. DHH, DB, BVI). Questions? Please contact Erin Campion at ecampion@pattan.net.

Want a preview of the terrific content being shared in the Family Resource Group Newsletters? Here are the most recent editions:

2023 Oct/Nov DHH Edition

2023 Oct/Nov DB Edition

Save the Date for Family Learning Conference 2024 - Details to follow in the coming months. Please share!

If your child has both a vision and hearing loss, your family (parents/guardians, siblings and child who is deafblind) is welcome to join us for our hybrid family learning conference June 21-22 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College, PA.

PATTAN DEAF/HARD OF HEARING INITIATIVE TEAM

Erin Campion - Statewide Deaf/Hard of Hearing Parent Coordinator

Dr. Jennifer Craig - Educational Consultant, PaTTAN West (Pgh)

Sue Ann Houser - Educational Consultant, PaTTAN Central (Hbg)

Tara Kelly - Educational Consultant, PaTTAN East (Malvern)