Student #2

This student is a high school freshman with a vision for his school’s World Language Program. Recognizing how universal American Sign Language can be as a form of communication, he hopes to integrate it into his own curriculum.

Unfortunately, this is no easy process, especially for a student. He must show justification for its necessity as a course and make sure that his school has the necessary resources to implement it. Civic Connections has helped to connect this student with multiple members of his Board of Education and helped him to prepare a presentation for a monthly meeting.

After receiving positive feedback from the board, his initiative gained further traction, but more work needs to be done. Civic Connections is currently helping this student to find a possible teacher for the course before taking the next steps.

Update: After continued lobbying and further refinement of the proposal, this student's Board of Education approved a compromise — a virtual ASL course that counts toward the district's world language requirement. Once an ASL teacher is hired, the course will go live.