By Anne Adams
Maybe you’ve seen the posters, the banner or even the flag hanging on the front wall of TSD. Maybe you were at Homecoming and saw the t-shirts, or perhaps you were strolling down South Congress on the First Thursday in September and saw a million bright yellow fans with Language for All blazing across the front in bright red letters providing a much needed breeze for people shopping in the 104 degree heat. Maybe you haven’t heard or seen any of this, but just wait, because you will!
With the start of the 2011 school year, the TSD Foundation launched an ambitious awareness and fundraising campaign designed to inform all Texans about TSD and the challenges faced by our children.
“Language For All is a cry for understanding, an appeal for support and a mission for self-determination on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing children in Texas. We want all Texans to understand that language and literacy are fundamental human rights, no less for our deaf and hard of hearing children than for those who can hear” explains Diana Poeppelmeyer, Director of Outreach at TSD.
The fate of Texas School for the Deaf and students state-wide depends on support from the Texas community. The TSD Foundation wants one million Texans to declare that deaf and hard of hearing children are an important part of this great State by donating to our cause.
The campaign officially kicked off with a benefit concert at the Mohawk in Austin on November 18th, featuring 8 bands on 2 stages with all music professionally signed by LotuSIGN, the premier music interpreting group which handles major events such as Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza in Chicago! Also on hand were Rivers Krueger Audiology offering free ear scans, KVRX Radio, Gatti’s who donated 50 pizzas, and folks selling merchandise for each of the bands. The event was a wonderful success with over 300 people in attendance.
The Language For All campaign is a public-professional partnership between the Texas School for the Deaf Foundation and SicolaMartin, a premier Austin-based advertising and marketing agency, who awarded TSD’s Foundation a pro bono campaign and have designed and help create the logo, mission statement, and launch party. Keep an eye out for our PSA (Public Service Announcement) and other upcoming events.
Funds raised will be allocated to three primary initiatives:
- 0-3 Program – focus critical efforts targeting infants 0-3 years old, providing language and communication exposure starting at birth.
- Statewide Outreach Program – advance the school’s Outreach programs to students in all areas, proven to be a lifeline to underprivileged deaf children with little-to-no access to language in often isolated environments.
- Technology – deaf students are visual learners, and technology is essential to their education.
The Foundation’s goal of raising $5,000,000 over the life of the campaign needs your support! Please friend us on FaceBook (http://www.facebook.com/LanguageForAll), check out our Language For All tab at the TSD Foundation website (www.tsdfoundation.org), make a donation or get involved! For more information please contact Anne Adams, TSDF Executive Director, 512-462-5750 or [email protected]