Equity and Inclusion for At-risk Deaf Youth

K-12 STEAM education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Hearing loss affects every aspect of a child's life, from language and communication to academic achievement and social-emotional growth. Without the necessary resources, deaf children often become part of a troubling California statistic, graduating high school with skills no higher than a fifth-grade level. No Limits continues to enroll deaf children today who do not know their name, age or birthday and they are age five while a hearing child has, on average, 5000 vocabulary words. Sadly, low-income deaf children frequently fall through the cracks, ignored or inadequately supported. Educators' low expectations and scarce tailored programming impede their progress. Additionally, the lack of mental health resources exacerbates their difficulties. No Limits essential programming addresses these challenges, offering after-school programs, improving language and literacy skills, providing deaf peers and mentors, delivering leadership and advocacy training that improves mental health.

Grant funds will support the No Limits STEAM program at our LA Educational Center and 38 pop-up locations in the greater LA area. The program consists of three 10-week sessions and a theater and intervention program in the summer. Youth attend up to eight hours per week, participating in group classes and 1:1 engagement focused on communication competence, literacy, academics, career mentorship, parent education, and STEAM intervention. At the end of each 10-week session, students present graduation speeches by memory in front of hundreds of people, showcasing their confidence and public speaking skills. STEAM programming is a crucial part of our curriculum, which includes understanding hearing technology. Deaf youth will learn about their hearing loss, audiograms, technology, enabling them to participate actively in decision-making related to their educational and social needs. Data shows that as youth gain confidence discussing their hearing loss with peers, their overall mental well-being improves, and the stigma often linked to a lack of knowledge is reduced.
Additionally, incorporating digital storytelling by deaf youth, teens, and adults can empower individuals and provide hope for their families. It creates greater awareness of the needs of people with hearing loss, expressed not through research alone but through their personal stories and experiences. This authentic form of communication can foster empathy, understanding, and support within the wider community.

No Limits STEAM programming is needed more than ever to change the course of underserved deaf children’s lives by addressing learning gaps as a result of Covid 19 and the inherent lack of intervention required to succeed. Today, we have students who still are 3-4 years behind yet they receive no additional support. No Limits is both humbled and honored to serve as the:
• First and Only no-cost after-school program in the country providing comprehensive programming to deaf youth, ages birth to 21
• First and Only theater arts program for deaf youth who speak;
• First and Only weekly parent classes for deaf youth from birth-21 years;
• First and Only bi-weekly literacy intervention classes for school-age deaf youth;
• First and Only weekly Leadership and Mentoring Program for deaf teens in the country.
No Limits helps to remedy the systemic inequity that our students face in their lives. We are the only program in Los Angeles that provides comprehensive no cost programming to deaf youth.

No Limits STEAM is an existing program. Due to the pandemic, our deaf youth faced many challenges, including face masks exacerbating isolation. Returning to in-person learning was paramount to stop the increasing learning gap, yet families could not afford the rise in gas prices to travel to the Center. No Limits Pop-Ups were created, meeting at local libraries near their homes. We currently have 38 sites in LA, providing vital programming to our current families and those previously hindered by distance. We administer pre-post assessments every 10 weeks, surveys, and yearly standardized testing to measure our impact. No Limits media representation has a significant impact on deaf children, such as recently being featured on show, The Simpsons, starring our first student and 3 other No Limits children. The show was seen on over 600 news channels, and many deaf children expressed how they cried seeing a character with a hearing device. Representation is key to making systemic change.