Bill Cruscial’s proposal was awarded $500.42 for the purchase of a large screen TV for the DeafPantherProductions studio so that student actors preparing webcasts/broadcasts can monitor what is being broadcast.

Panther TV is an enrichment offering for high school students with 39 students currently enrolled in these classes.  As funds permit, OSD has been creating a television studio environment where students about television broadcasting.  They plan, produce, direct and broadcast news events and happenings of all age levels and interests at the School. The 42” television monitor was needed for the studio floor so that the actors and reporters actually can see themselves as the broadcast is occurring.

All students and staff are encouraged to suggest topics and activities for filming, so there is a first-level decision-making of what is “newsworthy.”  Guided by OSD staff, students then use professional equipment to film short videos, edit them, plan a broadcast, write a script and do a live weekly broadcast to the OSD audience.  Then they post it on the OSD website for interested viewers.

OSD is a residential program, so students come from all corners of the state of Oregon.  It is often a hardship for families to make the trip to Salem.  The Panther TV broadcasts provide families and friends the opportunity to keep in touch with activities and events at the School and encourages communication about what they have viewed.

Pam Rimmer’s FACTOR Curriculum project was awarded $234.30 for curriculum kits and student booklets for assessing and teaching everyday life skills that need improving. This is an innovative program for special needs students. Over the years OSD has focused on classroom skills, but the need is great in non-academic areas in order to help students be more successful and independent in adult life. There are 14 students at OSD who have been identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder.  312  OSD classes incorporate life skills into their instruction.  This curriculum was first designed to help autistic students, but OSD has found that it helps any student who needs daily tasks broken down into smaller steps and taught in a systematic manner.  It helps staff identify student life-skills that need improvement.  It provides staff with the tools needed to teach those skills.  The goal is for students to develop life skills at school and then transfer those skills to real life situations in their homes, in leisure activities, on the job, etc

Sharla Jones’s proposal was awarded $500 towards the LIFE: Middle School Leadership Conference, which involves students from all over the state. This was the 4th year for this 4-day conference which includes deaf and hearing impaired students from all over the state of Oregon.  More than half of the participants were from regular public schools and rarely get the opportunity to socialize with other deaf students their own age.  The number of participants varies from year-to-year, depending on the middle school population.  The 2011 Conference hosted 72 students.  The 2012 Conference hosted 45. Funds were used for gas cards for the presenters, food, office supplies and workshop materials.  No stipends or gratuities were given, and 20 volunteers were involved in the Conference.  Other fundraising activities (T-shirt sales, the Haunted House, etc.) supplemented the Weston Foundation contribution.  Presenters at the workshops included deaf adults from a variety of professions to inspire and instruct the students.  The Conference Coordinator reported that this activity was a huge success and generated many positive comments by students and presenters alike.