Deaf Look Club is a program of BCMS and serves the local Deaf community by acting as their liaison to local teen programs. DLC partners with social agencies, school districts, nonprofits and Portland Art Museum.
Deaf Look Club serves adolescent and teen-aged Deaf and hearing children with a Montessori “Student First” philosophy. By extension, we also serve their family members and under-represented cultural groups that intersect with Deafness, including the queer, BIPOC and hispanic communities.
The mission of The Deaf Look Club is to empower local Deaf adolescents by providing language accessible, Montessori-based, and Deaf-led educational and leisure-time programs and activities.
DLC allies with local professional ASL interpreters, local Deaf organizations, institutions, social programs and businesses. Working together, we create accessible opportunities for the Deaf community and everyone benefits.
Approach
Deaf Look Club partners with local institutions, social nonprofits, Special Education school districts, local businesses, Montessori programs and our professional interpreter allies.
We coordinate language-accessible ASL tours in Portland museums and cultural centers. In line with our “student first” approach, the students decide on activities and take charge of organizing and scheduling them.
DLC reaches out to students of local sign language interpreting programs and offers them valuable on-the-job training. Strong alliances between the hearing and Deaf communities benefits everyone.
Communication
Deaf Look Club bridges communication access for young Deaf folks. We sign in ASL, and we use English in spoken and written form as needed.
DLC supports the right for families to choose the communication mode or method that best matches that student's needs in light of family values, lifestyle, goals, and the student's own inclinations and abilities.
We are not organizationally biased towards one form of communication. Rather, we stress that language must first be transmitted in the way that is easiest for the student to understand. And then create an environment where the student will be encouraged to use language.
DLC is putting together a listserv to notify our base about activities. Please recommend those who might be interested.
Contact dlc@bridgecitymontessori.com
