EEESMA School for the Deaf

Posted on July 22nd, 2023

A good education is the greatest gift you can give yourself or anyone else.”Mahtab Narsimhan​2012-2013 to 2022-2023 Celebrating Our 10th Anniversary! On the Path to Excellence Greetings! As the 2022-2023 school term winds down, we look forward to graduation events taking place soon. We also reflect on the many exciting things that happened during the past term. There were very engaged students, fun events, important acquisitions, and most importantly, big plans executed and lofty dreams fulfilled. The new passenger van is in full service and the students are excited, as you will see from the photo above. The van is making the trip daily from San Miguel to Dolores Hidalgo and back again, stopping at places between. This very necessary new transportation service has raised awareness of EEESMA in Dolores Hidalgo causing enrollment to increase….what you might call the “ripple effect”. As the students and faculty take a break from classes over the summer, we continue to make plans for the fall term. And to this end, you play a large part in keeping the school active and thriving. We wish to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for the positive impact you are making at EEESMA School for Deaf and in the lives of children and young people we serve. We are proud to have you on our team! With great appreciation, John Doherty Past Events and Future Plans July 12th Bonus Day Meet Abril and Jacobo, two bright students at EEESMA School for the Deaf. They dream of becoming more computer savvy, and your donation will help them move closer to that dream. Your donation of between $100-$1000 made between 9 am to midnight EDT could see a portion of your generosity matched. Please give generously on July 12th and watch your donation grow! 30% match on donations from $100 – $499 40% match on donations from $500 – $749 50% match on donations from $750 – $1,000 July 12th Make Your Donation Signs & Smiles.org June Visit can only be described as an overwhelming success! First, seven volunteers from different parts of the US took part in a five-day service/learning visit. Following, five deaf education professionals, including Dr. Patrick Graham and Dr. Chris Kurz of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester NY, stayed on with colleagues. They led a three-day course to kickstart the upcoming “Training Teachers of Deaf Students in Mexico Project” funded by a recently approved Rotary International Global Grant. We look forward to welcoming Signs & Smiles.org back in January 2024 to move the project into top gear. Deaf Kids Code – 3 Day Workshop took place last March. Under the expert leadership of volunteers Nadmi and Ruth, all of our students and teachers were initiated into some basic coding concepts, exposing them to strategies to begin the process of learning to create computer coding. Moving forward these initiatives and others will prepare our students to be more tech specialized and ultimately to be qualified for fulfilling, stable and well-paid jobs; jobs that will allow them to work remotely, not just in Mexico, but also within the global workplace. The 10th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon was enthusiastically attended on March 14th. Over 80 special guests enjoyed a spectacular risotto prepared by our dear friend, Chef Marco Massarotti of Restaurant Casa Nostra. There were refreshments, speeches, and plenty of conversation but the songs signed by the students themselves were the definite highlight! This was our time to Thank You for the many successes we have enjoyed over the past 10 years! Summer Day Camp Coming In AugustDeaf kids aged 6 to 13 years from EEESMA, and others from surrounding areas will attend a week-long event focused on science and art. Lego educational software and robot building will play a big part. Exciting stuff! There are no government-supported schools for the Deaf in the state of Guanajuato. Public schools offer little or no sign language instruction. Opened in 2012, EEESMA offers kids who are Deaf a better chance in life. We need your help to ensure EEESMA School for the Deaf continues to offer Deaf Education to children and young adults in the area. There are no other options. The ability to attract and retain well-qualified teachers with Mexican Sign Language skills continues to be a big challenge. Please join us in continuing to build a great school for Deaf children. Fundraising at EEESMA is accomplished exclusively by volunteers. #deafeducation #deafpride #signlanguage “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”