Clerc Center Online Community launches

The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center (Clerc Center) at Gallaudet University announced on January 10 the public launch of the Clerc Center Online Community, a unique online resource center advancing the education of deaf children and young adults.

The Clerc Center Online Community is designed to serve multiple audiences, including parents and families with deaf and hard of hearing children, early childhood interventionists and development specialists, educational professionals, and healthcare providers. Its goal is to serve as a supportive community and the leading centralized hub where families and deaf education professionals can network with one another and secure expert resources and informed choices for their ongoing work with deaf children.

The Online Community includes resources to go; online training and learning; networking with others; live events; and ongoing support. Among the many resources visitors can find at the Online Community are several learning modules, including Advocacy for Your Child; Fifteen Principles for Reading to Deaf Children; Multilingual Families and Homes; and K-12 ASL Content Standards.

“We are very pleased to officially launch the Clerc Center Online Community to the public,” said Marianne Belsky, ’87 & H-’11, the Chief Academic Officer of the Clerc Center. “The Online Community meets a longstanding need for a centrally accessible site where families and professionals alike can go to take advantage of the Clerc Center’s deep portfolio of resources and expertise in deaf education. They will also find resources from partnering organizations that the Clerc Center works with to encourage growth and advancement of excellence in deaf education.”

Nicole Sutliffe, G-’10, the Chief Administrative Officer of the Clerc Center, added, “We know that still today many parents, families, and educators are wanting and looking for guidance on how to support their ability to provide the very best in deaf education for their students and children. We are very excited that starting today, we now have the perfect home to deliver this to our allies throughout the U.S. and beyond.”