Meeting weekly throughout the school year, the Shaker Middle School ASL Club gives students the opportunity to learn American Sign Language while deepening their understanding of Deaf culture. The club meets every Wednesday after school, where students gather for a snack before participating in hands-on instruction led by instructors from the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center.

Through games, collaboration, and interactive learning, students practice and review signs in ways that make learning engaging and meaningful. The club also incorporates literacy through the graphic novel El Deafo, which shares the real-life story of author Cece Bell, who became deaf as a child due to illness. As a Kent State University graduate, Bell provides an inspiring local connection, and the club hopes to connect with her in the future.

Thank you to our donors and community partners for helping make programs like the SMS ASL Club possible. Because of you, Shaker students are learning not only how to speak with their hands, but how to listen with their hearts.