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Immerse yourself in Sign Language

Get a JumpStart on the immersive American Sign Language (ASL) and English experience you’ll encounter at Gallaudet before the start of your first semester. This four-week program is packed with Deaf Culture and ASL to get you and your peers comfortable and confident as new signers.

Overall, Jumpstart Program is FREE, including room and board, field trips, and engagement activities.

Join the JumpStart Program, running from Monday, July 21 - Friday, August 15, 2025!

 

At Gallaudet University, the primary languages used on campus are American Sign Language (ASL) and written English. To support the bilingual mission of the university, all students are expected to develop proficiency in both ASL and written English. However, not all students are fluent in ASL when they come to campus. JumpStart-ASL is an opportunity for deaf and hard-of-hearing undergraduates who are new to the Deaf community and Deaf culture to learn and develop their ASL skills in a community of peers with similar backgrounds. The goal is to provide a foundational understanding of the ASL language to help students develop their confidence as new signers. This ensures that students can communicate with peers, staff, and faculty as the Fall semester begins.

What is Jumpstart?

JumpStart: ASL, is a four-week immersion program for emerging signers held each summer before the start of the Fall semester. It provides incoming students with courses in Deaf Culture, American Sign Language (ASL), and Visual and Gestural Communication.

Get a JumpStart on the immersive American Sign Language (ASL) and English experience you’ll encounter at Gallaudet before the start of your first semester. This four-week program is packed with Deaf Culture and ASL to get you and your peers comfortable and confident as new signers.

  • Learn ASL Develop your ASL skills with an immersive experience leading up to your first semester.
  • Make Friends Discover new friendships and get involved before the Fall Semester even starts!
  • Explore DC Get familiar with your home away from home with four weeks to explore Washington, D.C. before classes begin.

 

You can find the weekly schedule here

Learn ASL

Develop your ASL skills with an immersive experience leading up to your first semester.

New and Emerging Signers

Make Friends

Discover new friendships and get involved before the Fall Semester even starts!

Life @ GU

Explore DC

Get familiar with your home away from home with four weeks to explore Washington, D.C. before classes begin.

Washington, D.C.

Information

FAQs

Common Questions

The program usually has 40 to 60 students with many not knowing any signs and others knowing fingerspelling or a few conversational signs. All students who enroll in the program receive the same support and services in order to transition into a visual environment.
Saying you were “mainstreamed” or come from a “mainstream” program means you attended a school with hearing peers, rather than a school serving only deaf or hard of hearing students. Mainstream programs vary widely, from smaller classrooms containing deaf or hard of hearing peers found within public or private schools to a single deaf or hard of hearing student attending his or her local high school— either with or without interpreters and other support services.
That depends. Some students pick it up quickly, and others find it necessary to spend more time studying and practicing with friends. Like any other language, there are other factors involved in the speed of acquisition. For example, your level of immersion, peers’ language choice, comfort level, and motivation will all likely play a part in how smoothly your transition progresses.
First-year students will be paired with a peer mentor in GSR 101: First-Year Seminar course. Students who participate in JumpStart programs are automatically enrolled in the Peer Mentorship program.

Campus Life Questions

Of course! Earbud wires and headphones are a common sight on campus. Quite a few Gallaudet students— of varying hearing abilitie— like to get their groove on. Cell phone etiquette is the same here as any other academic environment. When using your phone, be respectful of those around you.
Absolutely. There are also students with cochlear implants, students who use Cued Speech, students who are hearing, and students who recently lost their hearing.
You bet! Gallaudet is a university that embraces the diversity found in the campus community. We think everyone is unique, and there is always common ground to be found. This is true of students’ communication styles as well. We admit students each year with a variety of educational and language backgrounds.

Services and Support

The JumpStart: American Sign Language (ASL) Program recognizes the learning curve involved in transitioning to a visual environment. We will work with you, via instruction and mentorship, to get you more comfortable with ASL throughout the program and your first year. In the meantime, we will also work with you to arrange service that supports your access, like voice interpreters, mobile captioning, and CART providers.

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Undergraduate Admissions

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Jerri Dorminy

Director, Student Success

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Contact Us

JumpStart ASL

Monday - Friday
9 - 5

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