Initiatives

The National Consortium’s regional and national initiatives revolve around five key goals aimed at addressing the national shortage of interpreters:

Goal 1

Improve interpreting education outcomes by providing and promoting effective practice based educational opportunities and resources for interpreter educators and program administrators.
Target Audience: Interpreting education faculty and administrators; interpreting education programs students
Activities:

  • Promote the American Sign Language Standards, soon-to-be-published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
  • Provide training for ASL faculty in the use of ACTFL Proficiency Interview protocols.
  • Study and disseminate information on current outcomes of ASL programs.
  • Study and disseminate information on current outcomes of interpreting programs.
  • Establish the Outcomes Circle of thirteen interpreting education programs nationwide to serve as a laboratory for exchanging and vetting products and practices for interpreting education.
  • Provide networking opportunities for students and novice interpreters.
  • Provide training and networking opportunities for program faculty and administrators including topical webinars, online coursework, and face-to-face meetings.
  • Offer funding support and technical assistance to interpreting programs undertaking the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE).
  • Provide topical curricular modules for infusion in interpreting courses.
  • Publish a journal of student research.
  • Make available an extensive interpreting education resource site.
  • Support student recruitment through the Discover Interpreting Initiative.

Goal 2

Increase interpreter skill and knowledge toward achievement of credentials and specialization for diverse settings and consumer needs and preferences
Target Audience: Interpreters at all skill levels, novice to experienced
Activities:

  • Provide focused language enhancement opportunities including ASL immersion, ASL mentorship, ASL development modules for specialized settings, and web-based resources on academic and technical ASL.
  • Offer certification preparation, mentor training, mentorship opportunities, and mentorship resources, individualized diagnostic assessment and skill-development activities.
  • Define specialized competencies and provide resources, training, and technical assistance in the areas of English/ASL/Spanish interpreting (link to Trilingual page) and Vocational Rehabilitation interpreting (link to VR page).
  • Develop competency-based curricular modules and training for the Deaf interpreter.
  • Provide online resources, instructional modules, and mentorship for healthcare interpreting addressing such areas as VR consumers, dysfluent language, addiction and recovery, and Deaf/Hearing interpreting teams.
  • Offer online training on legal interpreting, conference-based training for advanced legal interpreters, and a conference exploring the intersection of legal and healthcare interpreting.
  • Provide a training series and resources on video interpreting, a virtual simulation network, and a biennial conference.
  • Offer Deaf-Blind interpreter training through mentorship opportunities, online training, and a hybrid series in collaboration with the Helen Keller National Center.

Goal 3

Increase the ability of Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deaf-Blind individuals to effectively obtain and utilize interpreters through the provision of peer-based trainings on self-advocacy.
Target Audience: Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deaf-Blind VR consumers, interpreters, and VR providers
Activities:

  • Conduct a three-day Master Trainer Seminar.
  • Expand and refine the existing Deaf Self-Advocacy curriculum based on last cycle’s pilot tests.
  • Adapt the curriculum and training approach for use with Deaf-Blind audiences.
  • Expand the pool of trainers.
  • Provide Spanish language versions of the curriculum and training materials.
  • Add content on Deaf self-advocacy for the legal setting.
  • Educate VR service providers and interpreters on the content of the curriculum.
  • Conduct consumer training and provide technical assistance throughout all regional of the U.S.

Goal 4

Serve information and technical assistance needs on matters of interpreting education, certification, and continuing development.
Audience: Current and prospective interpreters, interpreting educators, program administrators, mentors, consumers, VR service providers, and the general public.
Activities:

  • Maintain National Consortium and center-based websites.
  • Establish & maintain communication with stakeholders.
  • Sponsor the RID Certification Maintenance Program.
  • Provide RID Certification Local Test Administration.
  • Maintain lending libraries of resources in underserved communities.
  • Provide Discover Interpreting resources & training to increase number of interpreters.
  • Collaborate with state, regional & national stakeholder/partner organizations.
  • Provide regional & national products to NCRTM for dissemination

Goal 5

Coordination of National and Regional Interpreter Education Center activities, ensure the effectiveness of the educational opportunities offered, and ensure the effectiveness of the program as a whole.
Audience: Regional and National Center staff, stakeholders, funding agency.
Activities:

  • Engage in strategic planning process.
  • Include stakeholders in program design and implementation.
  • Develop and implement program quality indicators.
  • Conduct ongoing evaluation of all activities.