Miss-Delectable
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The Messenger - Fort Dodge, Iowa
While a little nervous when he first got to camp, Tabre Delaney quickly found friends who knew how to play basketball.
But, even more quickly, the deaf Des Moines adolescent found a sense of freedom.
“My family signs some, but not a lot,” he signed through an interpreter. “It makes communication difficult. We’re always trying to clarify. For my friends who are deaf, and even hearing friends who know some signs, I’ll probably teach them more. It’s fun to talk without having to write it down and pass it back and forth.”
Delaney is one of 26 students from across the state participating in the Cultural Diversity and Leadership camp this week at Dolliver Memorial State Park near Lehigh.
Organized by the Deaf Services Commission of Iowa and supported in part by the two Fort Dodge Sertoma clubs, the camp serves deaf, hard of hearing, hearing children with parents or siblings who are deaf, and grandchildren of deaf adults.
‘‘Really, when they come what they gain is a sense of identity,” said Kathryn Baumann-Reese, administrator of Deaf Services Commission of Iowa. “They meet these other kids from across the state and realize, ‘Hey, I’m not the only one who has these challenges.’’’
That social aspect is what drew Jackie Weipert, of Farnhamville.
“I like being around other people,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s fun. We play games, do stuff outside and we talk.’’
While Weipert can hear, both of her parents are deaf. The Prairie Valley Middle School student is normally the only one she knows with such a family situation, but at the camp, she has met other kids with a parent or parents who can’t hear.
“My parents are no different than anyone else’s,” she said. “It’s the same, really. They know that here.”
While meeting new people and socializing is a main component of the camp, it’s not the sole focus. The students spend a good portion of each day in the classroom set up in the south lodge to learn leadership skills, as well as positive thinking, cultural pride and tolerance.
“These kids are high school and middle school age,” said Baumann-Reese. “It’s a time in their lives when they should start taking responsibility for fulfilling their own needs. We try to teach them to advocate for themselves, and we make them aware of the resources that are available to them.”
During the lessons, she said they learn about several deaf and hard of hearing role models, and not just people like Marlee Matlin, an award-winning actress, and Heather Whitestone, the 1995 Miss America who is hard of hearing.
Former students who attended camp are highlighted, Baumann-Reese said, especially those who excel in careers many deaf and hard of hearing people don’t consider. For instance, a previous camper became an obstetrician, using an interpreter to communicate with her clients, and there is the former camper who became a commercial airline pilot.
“Hopefully the kids see there really aren’t limitations,’’ Baumann-Reese said. “It’s just learning how to adapt.’’
While a little nervous when he first got to camp, Tabre Delaney quickly found friends who knew how to play basketball.
But, even more quickly, the deaf Des Moines adolescent found a sense of freedom.
“My family signs some, but not a lot,” he signed through an interpreter. “It makes communication difficult. We’re always trying to clarify. For my friends who are deaf, and even hearing friends who know some signs, I’ll probably teach them more. It’s fun to talk without having to write it down and pass it back and forth.”
Delaney is one of 26 students from across the state participating in the Cultural Diversity and Leadership camp this week at Dolliver Memorial State Park near Lehigh.
Organized by the Deaf Services Commission of Iowa and supported in part by the two Fort Dodge Sertoma clubs, the camp serves deaf, hard of hearing, hearing children with parents or siblings who are deaf, and grandchildren of deaf adults.
‘‘Really, when they come what they gain is a sense of identity,” said Kathryn Baumann-Reese, administrator of Deaf Services Commission of Iowa. “They meet these other kids from across the state and realize, ‘Hey, I’m not the only one who has these challenges.’’’
That social aspect is what drew Jackie Weipert, of Farnhamville.
“I like being around other people,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s fun. We play games, do stuff outside and we talk.’’
While Weipert can hear, both of her parents are deaf. The Prairie Valley Middle School student is normally the only one she knows with such a family situation, but at the camp, she has met other kids with a parent or parents who can’t hear.
“My parents are no different than anyone else’s,” she said. “It’s the same, really. They know that here.”
While meeting new people and socializing is a main component of the camp, it’s not the sole focus. The students spend a good portion of each day in the classroom set up in the south lodge to learn leadership skills, as well as positive thinking, cultural pride and tolerance.
“These kids are high school and middle school age,” said Baumann-Reese. “It’s a time in their lives when they should start taking responsibility for fulfilling their own needs. We try to teach them to advocate for themselves, and we make them aware of the resources that are available to them.”
During the lessons, she said they learn about several deaf and hard of hearing role models, and not just people like Marlee Matlin, an award-winning actress, and Heather Whitestone, the 1995 Miss America who is hard of hearing.
Former students who attended camp are highlighted, Baumann-Reese said, especially those who excel in careers many deaf and hard of hearing people don’t consider. For instance, a previous camper became an obstetrician, using an interpreter to communicate with her clients, and there is the former camper who became a commercial airline pilot.
“Hopefully the kids see there really aren’t limitations,’’ Baumann-Reese said. “It’s just learning how to adapt.’’