A Fairfax County, Virginia, school system is aiming to help deaf students navigate more than just classes.
Canterbury Woods Elementary School is expanding a program that helps kids who are deaf or hard of hearing to also help them with life experiences.
The Fairfax County Public Schools MentorWorks program is partnering with the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf-Hard of Hearing Persons.
The expansion of the program will kick off at Canterbury Woods Elementary school and pair students with nine volunteers who are also either deaf or hard of hearing.
The mentors will share their experiences growing up and meet with the kids one on one or in a group setting to talk about life challenges outside of academics.
The assistance will use a variety of modalities including oral-auditory, cued language, and American Sign Language.
About a third of kids who receive deaf services at the school will be assigned a mentor at the start of the program. The school hopes to expand the program in the future.
