The Learning Center for the Deaf (TLC) has received a $2,000 mini grant from the Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf (CEASD) to support its BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) student population.
Marie Philip School and Walden School at TLC has had an informal BIPOC student organization run by BIPOC staff over the past several years. The grant will support initiatives designed to establish a more formal student organization, including:
- Creating and implementing four structured educational opportunities on and off campus, specifically designed to support high school BIPOC students in exploring and affirming their identities and experiences. BIPOC students and staff will develop these opportunities to ensure inclusivity and equity with a goal to engage a larger percentage of BIPOC students;
- Providing a student-led storytelling platform for sharing their experiences and narratives with at least four community storytelling events. These events will amplify BIPOC voices, promote inclusivity, and foster connections between students and their broader communities, with success measured through participant surveys and audience engagement.
These initiatives will be developed during the 2025-2026 academic year.
The CEASD mini-grants program is designed to build capacity in a manner to encourage, facilitate, recognize and reward innovative and creative approaches to fostering diversity, equity and/or anti-racism practices in schools and programs serving deaf and hard of hearing students.