Library offers family camp on sign language
Youth services specialist Tim Madsen communicates with Joy Deos in American Sign Language. (Courtesy photo)
HAYDEN — The Community Library Network at Hayden will offer a family camp for those who are deaf or hard of hearing or may know someone who is.
The American Sign Language (ASL) two-day workshop will be Friday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, Aug. 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. Both days will include lunch. The camp is free and registration is required.
Designed for kids and adults, the focus of the camp is to make folks aware of the resources available to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, said Tim Madsen, youth services specialist.
“We want to empower these kids and let their families realize their children can achieve whatever they want to do,” Madsen said.
Children ages 3 to 18 will begin each day with a bilingual story time. Madsen said that reading aloud while using ASL allows everyone to enjoy it. After that, kids will work on an art project, followed by STEM activities. They will be encouraged to try on different career hats working with circuits, playing with engineering toys to build bridges or construct and wire miniature houses, and programming robots.
Meanwhile, adults will hear from experts in the ASL fields. Participants will learn about advocacy support organizations available on the local level including special guests from the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. They will also hear from Dennis Mathews an elementary teacher, Madison Call, an ASL teacher at Lake City High School, and Jacalyn Marosi, head of ASL studies at NIC.
Madsen has spent the last three years earning an associate degree from NIC in ASL Studies that included volunteering at schools for the deaf. Last spring, he offered sign language story times at the Hayden Library. Attendance for each program averaged about 20 children, mostly from the hearing world.
“Story time has been a great way to educate the people in our community about the deaf community,” he said. “Anything we can do to open channels of communication benefits us all. Besides, it’s fun.”
Register for the workshop at CommunityLibrary.Net/Kids (look under Hayden programs) or by calling the Hayden Library, 208-772-5612 ext. 120.