Educators for deaf and hard of hearing students from throughout California will convene at Fresno State for the CAL-ED Conference Friday through Sunday, Feb. 26 to 28.

Participants will attend workshops and presentations that provide growth and learning opportunities to those working in the field.

CAL-ED, California Educators of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, is one of the largest professional organizations in the West, consisting of educators, parents, teachers, interpreters and professionals dedicated to the educational excellence for deaf and hard of hearing children.

The three-day conference will kick off on Friday, Feb. 26, with a variety of special interest groups and the Lecture in the Silent Garden, which will address Latino families with deaf and hard of hearing children. Keynote speaker Irma Sanchez, founder of Los Angeles-based nonprofit Deaf Latinos, will discuss resources and ways to overcome communication challenges. The free, public lecture will be from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Gym (Room 118).

Also on Friday will be the Celebration of Diversity, which will bring together deaf and hard of children from throughout Fresno County and surrounding areas in the Valley. Hosted by the American Sign Language Club and the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies, the event allows young students to interact and engage in fun activities, while being exposed to the deaf community. The event will be at the University Residential Dining Hall from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

“A lot of deaf and hard of hearing children live in isolation and are not aware of the broader deaf community,” said Dr. Peter Crume, assistant professor in the Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Studies and a co-chair of the conference. “These events are made to engage kids and so it’s a very powerful thing for them. It’s a great chance for them to be inspired and know that it’s OK to be deaf.”

Workshops will be held throughout Saturday. From 7 to 9:30 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union, there will be a free, public showing of the film “No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie,” starring John Maucere, a well-known entertainer and advocate recognized for his service to the deaf and hard of hearing community. Maucere will talk about his experience as a deaf actor in Hollywood.

Sunday will consist of a parent panel that will discuss the benefits of using a bilingual approach to communicate effectively with their deaf and hard of hearing children.

Crume said having the conference at Fresno State will expose both students and educators to opportunities in the Valley and raise the profile of the University. About 300 people are expected to attend.

“We have a lot to give in terms of how we can contribute to the deaf and hard of hearing community, and we also are part of the cutting edge training that goes on within the field, so I think it’s important that participants get a sense of what we see as important in the future,” Crume said. “Certainly we are very passionate about what we do and we really want to serve the deaf community, whom are very underserved in many ways.”

Faculty from the College of Health and Human Services will be among the many workshop presenters at the three-day event. Dr. Nancy Delich, assistant professor of social work, and Dr. Stephen Roberts, associate professor of audiology, will address mental health issues facing deaf and hard of hearing children in schools and effective communication skills.

Assistant professors of deaf education Dr. Janice Smith-Warshaw and Dr. Serena Johnson will present “The Future and Philosophy of the Deaf Studies Programs at Fresno State,” which will look at Fresno State’s ASL/English bilingual philosophy. Smith-Warshaw will also present on visual language technology and the “21st century D/HH Classroom.”

Keynote speakers include Dr. Gerry Buckley, president and CEO of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and vice president of Rochester Institute of Technology, and Dr. Laura Ann Petitto, science director of the National Science Foundation and Gallaudet University’s Science of Learning Center.

The CAL-ED organization, established in 1960, supports quality education of students who are deaf or hard of hearing by providing a network of support and information for teachers of students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

For more information, contact Peter Crume at pcrume@csufresno.edu or 559.278.0351.