REGION REPORTS

Region II Report

Jason Hurdich, M.Ed., CDI Region II Representative

1. We had our third President’s Council meeting on February 24, 2022. Topics discussed included: a. Discussing doing a mini Region II conference later this year and a possible Region II Conference in 2024. b. Region II AC Leaders expressed their interest in leadership training, especially advocating for licensure. c. Some affiliate chapters gave their presentations- MSRID, SCRID, and FRID. d. We discussed briefly from FRID’s perspective on the University of South Florida interpreting training program situation. https://handsonusf.usf.edu/aboutUs.cfm

To-Dos:

• Photos from affiliate chapters (e.g., conf.) for the VIEWS • AC’s shared calendar to share events within Region II • Mentor/Mentee partnership ideas/townhall/member engagement activity. • Next RID Region II meeting: March 31st- 7 - 8:30 pm EST

FYIs that I shared with Region II AC Officers:

• RID BOD meeting in Alexandria (hybrid) March, strategic planning 2023-2026 • March 1st - RID new Communications Director begins • February’s Town Hall: Interpreters Working in Rural Areas • Deaf Caucus inactive currently - Town Hall- Asked ACs to spread the word

2. Have met PCRID, VRID, SCRID, GARID, MSRID, ALRID, FRID, NCRID. Representative Hurdich and AC

Liaison Dr. Ball hope to meet with TRID shortly after VIEWS publication.

REGION II AFFILIATE CHAPTER REPORTS:

ALRID (Alabama RID)- We have had several virtual workshops and one face-to-face workshop over the past year. People are very tired of Zoom meetings and want to attend a workshop or conference in person. Therefore, we plan our biennial conference for June 1-3, 2022, in Mobile, AL, face-to-face offering 2.0 CEUs.

FRID (Florida RID)- Our Board started the year by meeting with our Board and Committee chairs to review last year’s success and begin planning for 2022. We have many newly elected Board members and Committee Chairpersons and are thankful for their volunteer spirit. In the last quarter of 2021, we assembled a task force of various stakeholders in Florida, focusing on Licensure/Regulation.

GaRID- (Georgia RID) is working tirelessly to provide its yearly Membership Appreciation Day workshop on April 23rd. In addition, our current goals are to reach out and communicate more. To that end, we are working on improving our current website, adding an ASL version of our bylaws to our webpage. We are also offering monthly ASL chat meetings through virtual settings to try to reach some of our more rural areas and also interpreters who are working solo with little to no support. Another current endeavor is the work that is happening with the GA commission for the Deaf/HH, the Georgia Association of the Deaf, and NAOBI-ATLANTA to create a Georgia Interpreter Licensure Bill. GaRID is trying to create stronger ties to GSU and Valdosta’s interpreter programs.

MSRID (Mississippi RID) MSRID has worked tirelessly to support the Deaf and interpreting communities in the state. We are in the process of setting up mentorships, training, and focus groups. Educational interpreters are meeting virtually to promote professional support and standard practices. Videos and workshops are being created to ensure all MSRID members get the most from the website. The website is being expanded to include the names and contact information for state members who want to promote their services throughout the state. MSRID will have members at the Mississippi Coast Association of the Deaf’s meeting and March event, the first meeting since the beginning of COVID. MSRID won a grant for IRIS https://www.unco.edu/irisproject/

NCRID (North Carolina RID)- They had a board retreat for two days where the Board socialized, planned for 2022, set up positions; it was the first time they had a face-to-face Board retreat since the pandemic broke out. They have virtual road trips throughout the year within North Carolina. NCRID plans to update its bylaws and have a vote sometime in June.

PCRID (Potomac Chapter RID)- PCRID hosted a virtual retreat in January 2022 with their newly elected Vice President (during their 2021 Annual Conference in December). As of March 13, 2022, PCRID will have been in existence for 51 years! PCRID plans to have more student and membership engagement opportunities this year; resume (targeted) workshop programming; increase collaborations with local Deaf organizations, and focus on Maryland Interpreter Licensure during 2022.

SCRID (South Carolina RID) Our 2022 Conference was held in February. What an outstanding experience! After collecting surveys “taking a pulse” to decide virtual vs. in-person, the results came back in a 50/50 split. The results prompted us to host our first HYBRID conference with Friday night entertainment by Deaf comedian Ben Jarashow, Demand-Control Schema workshops with Daniel Maffia, and workshops focusing on “Allyship, Allophillia, and Deaf Heart” with Ben Jarashow. Attendance was great. We welcomed 60 in-person and 25 virtual attendees!

We also learned from our survey that members craved more time to socialize with the Deaf community. Therefore, we opened up our Friday night entertainment to the Deaf community and welcomed several ASL students! We charged $15 tickets at the door and held a silent auction showcasing artwork from Deaf students at SCSDB. All proceeds will be donated to Beginnings-SC, a non-profit organization vested in early intervention and language acquisition for Deaf children. Next, we will travel to a rural area (Anderson, SC) and host two-hybrid workshops with Claris Industrious, one of which includes PPO CEUs.

Regarding passing SC interpreting licensure, we are looking forward to leveraging muscle from RID HQ to establish a much-needed standard for South Carolina!

TRID (Tennessee RID)- Tennessee School for the Deaf and TRID* will continue their partnership to provide a week-long conference in educational interpreting in 2022. It was a smashing success in 2021. Knoxville plans to do this in a hybrid format using f2f and online delivery- June 24 and 25, 2022. They adjusted membership for educational interpreters’ membership period from one year to two years to encourage involvement in the AC. The President’s Council suggested reaching out to the University of North Florida (UNF) to see what they may offer to TNRID. Region Representative also recommended checking in with Clemson University in South Carolina (South Carolina Educational Interpreting Center) and consulting with Dr. Stephen Fitzmaurice to see other resources available.

VRID (Virginia RID)- They switched to a virtual conference, but members felt “virtual burnout” from many virtual opportunities. VDOE (VA Department of Education) will send teams throughout Virginia to train interpreters. VRID would like to offer PPO training and upgrade its website. Focus on their workshop offerings to be more broadened with other service-related professions.

Growth mindset.

Region V Report

Jeremy Quiroga, CDI Region V Representative

This word has been coming up and making me think of my favorite quotes that I mentioned at the end of the last VIEWS article by Bruce Lee, “Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless — like water. You put water into a cup; it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

In the past two years, the pandemic has been especially brutal on our lives, and the necessary reflection on us as humans on how we impact diverse communities.

According to Lee’s quote, are we at the calm water moment? Everything seems calm. But under the water’s surface, what is actually happening? ? As humans and as members of RID, the question is: “What is our growth mindset going forward? Have we crashed enough; can we start flowing into the future? What shape will you hold?

The growth mindset will ask you to empty your mind.

Most of the ACs have been quiet (as we are still navigating the pandemic). ACs like SCRID have led by example with what can be done at this time in our lives. Other ACs have been struggling with being small already, and surviving through these times has been challenging.

My goal is to have the ACs ad hoc figure out how we can change the mindset of how people often mention “FOR FOR ACs?” The mentality of “FOR FOR RID? ME JUST PAY MEMBER CERTIFICATION.”

Where we want this to lead as the Board is for opening opportunities and programs to enhance members’ experience, and we can start saying “I am RID” with pride. I invite and challenge you as an RID member to change our mindset individually and as an organization going forward.

SCRID Report:

• SDCRID hosted a workshop with Cheryl Gallon, “Change Starts with me: Breaking the Conditioning of Whiteness.” It was well received and created a great foundation and opportunity to reflect on how we can be agents of change. • 1/8/2022 (yesterday) Hosted a mini-workshop before the General Membership meeting “The Critical Period for Language Acquisition,” with Tory Sampson, researcher and doctoral candidate from the Mayberry Lab at UCSD. She shared her research on brain development and language acquisition for late language learners. • We will host a series of six workshops with Isidore Niyongabo, “Tools for Allyship and Effective Advocacy.” • We are continuing with our BIPOC Committee. It is almost our first anniversary! • We continue to uplift and center BIPOC experiences. • We are working on drafting and adopting a diversity statement and land acknowledgment.