| Training Programs |
Training up deaf and hearing Hondurans in the field of deafness is a critical part of making a permanent and positive impact within the Deaf community. Along with Deaf leadership training, teachers, assistants, and interpreters are also important aspects of breaking down barriers for Deaf youth and adults in Honduras. NLDM is committed to bringing education and awareness to those who will make a difference in the lives of Deaf Hondurans.
Interpreter Training Program
Interpreters provide a critical bridge between the Deaf and hearing community. NLDM is dedicated to providing support and consultation in this area so that the lives and opportunities for Deaf Hondurans in the future will be greater.Here are some of the ways NLDM has and continues to support the development of qualified sign language interpreters in Honduras:
- Provided 90% of classroom teaching for the first interpreter training program at the National University of Honduras, the first university accredited program in Central America (1999-2004)
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Served as lead curriculum researcher and developer for the University's Interpreter Training Program
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Developed curriculum and trained Deaf teachers for the University's elective sign language course
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Provides ongoing consultation and mentoring for sign language interpreters in Honduras
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Provides interpreter training and sign language workshops for present and potential interpreters
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Provides awareness to the Deaf and hearing community about the role of interpreters
Because of this advancement in the field of interpretation, Deaf children in NLDM's Happy Hands School now at the pre-school level will have opportunities and access to society that Deaf adults for the most part have not had in Honduras.Deaf Education Certification Program
In creating a school that would provide a Christian-based quality education to its students, we also came across another challenge: finding qualified teachers. There are no "deaf education" programs in Honduras and very few hearing people with even minimal knowledge of deafness and sign language. Beginning in 2005, in collaboration with Baylor University in Waco, Texas, NLDM established a Deaf Education Certification program.Professors, teachers, and students associated with Baylor University and other schools in the United States have provided an invaluable service to NLDM by teaching the courses for this program and substituting in Happy Hands School so that the Honduran teachers may receive this training. This is the first program of its kind in Honduras: providing training to deaf and hearing Honduran teachers nationwide and equipping them to effectively teach the Deaf population of Honduras.