Between October 12 and November 8, from Northampton to Philadelphia, families, alumni, staff, friends and donors gathered in celebration of Clarke's 150th Anniversary. With the help of event emcees and video presentations, attendees were guided through Clarke's rich history and our plans for the future, while guest speakers inspired audiences with their personal stories of Clarke's impact. 

Celebrants at each of our events had the opportunity to pledge their support for Clarke. Inaugural members of Clarke's 1867 Society were recognized for their generosity with classic lapel pins, and commemorative silver bells were presented to donors who made gifts of $50 or more  -----  to ring in Clarke's next 150 years! Donate now to receive your silver bell!

Bells will be ringing again in honor of both  Clarke's 150th and Clarke Jacksonville's 20th Anniversary at Susanna and Ray Wolford's annual Silver Bells party for our Jacksonville and Orlando communities. Read more about the Wolfords' Silver Bells tradition (Page 18) in the latest issue of Clarke Speaks.

The special 150th Anniversary issue of Clarke Speaks  for Fall 2017 is now available for download and online viewing. Inside, we chronicle the extraordinary impact Clarke continues to have on the lives of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This extended special edition contains several fascinating articles about our work; video links featuring compelling personal profiles; Clarke's Donor Honor Roll; stunning photos of our thriving Clarke students; and so much more!

Clarke is honored to recognize Kevin Franck, PhD, Sara Grosvenor and Sharon McCarthy as they close out their terms with Clarke's Board of Trustees this fall. Franck, the brother of a Clarke alumna, joined the Board in 2011; Grosvenor, founder and president of The Alexander and Mabel Bell Legacy Foundation joined the Board in 2008; and McCarthy, a Seattle-based strategic communications executive, joined in 2014. "Clarke is incredibly grateful for their leadership, broad-reaching event support and high caliber fundraising efforts," said Doug Scott, Interim CEO for Clarke Schools. "Kevin, Sara and Sharon all demonstrated the passion and professionalism we hope to find in Clarke supporters and advocates at the highest level." Read more >

We are very happy to formally welcome Laurie Smith as the director of the Clarke Hearing Center in Northampton, MA! Smith has been with Clarke since 2011 and has been serving as the interim director for the Clarke Hearing Center since August of 2016. Her enthusiasm for and commitment to Clarke is evident in all she does to support children, families, adults and staff. Learn more about the Clarke Hearing Center in Northampton and make an appointment today!

Clarke's collaboration with Hearing Health Magazine allows the organization's expertise to reach new audiences with key information, tips and resources about pediatric hearing loss and Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) therapy and education. 

We often hear stories about how our work with children has impacted their families. In this issue, read about how Stu Stoller, a finance executive, began to have trouble hearing his colleagues in meetings. After seeing an audiologist, Stoller bought a hearing aid but wore it only sporadically before abandoning it.  As the years passed, Stoller's wife, Leslie, and their two daughters encouraged him to seek help as they could tell he wasn't able to fully engage in family conversations. Stoller put off taking action until his grandson Pierce was born in September 2015, and the family learned the child would likely have a hearing loss.   Read the full article in Hearing Health Magazine >

While we are tremendously proud of our 150-year legacy teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk, we are also committed to staying ahead of the curve to meet the needs of children with hearing loss. Through our tVISIT and Project LENA Programs, made possible with funding from The Grossman Family Foundation and the Oberkotter Foundation, we are working to reach more families via videoconferencing technology and at-home data collection. Our goal is to offer the best coaching and education available, customized to every family's unique needs. Learn more about the tVISIT Program and our newest technological pilot, Project LENA >

Mark your calendars for THREE Listening Walk events! On Sunday, May 20, 2018, the hunt for animal noises will be on for the third annual Clarke's Listening Walk at the Zoo and 5K Run in Philadelphia, PA. Then on Sunday, June 16, 2018, kids will be searching for sounds at Clarke's second annual Listening Walk at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, MA. AND NEW THIS YEAR: Join us on Sunday, June 3 for Clarke's first-ever Listening Walk at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo in New York! 

At each Listening Walk event, children of all ages will listen for all the amazing honks, hoots, squeals and squeaks you can only find at a zoo. Each Listening Walk will be a full-day event for the whole family and a celebration of all that is possible for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information coming soon! 

Twenty years ago, Clarke opened its first classroom in Jacksonville, FL to serve children with hearing loss and their families, and is now  a leader in providing and advancing Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) services throughout Florida and the Southeast. Since its founding, Clarke Jacksonville has impacted the lives of more than 1,000 children. And this year, Clarke Jacksonville realized the need for additional services and has also opened a Preschool Program in Orlando, FL. 

Now Clarke Jacksonville is so pleased to celebrate their 20 years in Florida on Saturday, December 9, at the annual Wolford Silver Bells Party! If you'd like to join us for this celebration, please reach out to Tina Morris, development associate, at  [email protected]. If you are unable to attend the party but want to acknowledge how Clarke has changed your life in the last 20 years, please consider making a donation. You can designate your gift to Clarke Jacksonville or our Orlando Preschool Program! (And if you'd like to learn more about  the Wolfords' holiday tradition honoring Clarke, read the article (Page 18) in our latest issue of  Clarke Speaks.)

We are so proud of Clarke alumnus Julien Friedland who organized a project which will aid those affected by the devastating tropical storms this fall. After receiving approval from his school's Center for Entrepreneurial Learning on a proposal to sell merchandise at a festival, Friedland worked with two friends for close to a year sourcing materials and developing a business plan. They are donating one-third of their net profits to hurricane relief efforts. 

In October, students from Clarke Boston enjoyed a field trip to Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon, MA, where they showed off costumes, learned the proper technique for picking pumpkins from the patch, rode on a wagon, met some pigs and had lunch on the farm! Back at school, they worked with their teachers to carve their brand new pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns. Many thanks to Ward's Berry Farm for showing us around; the children had a fantastic time and learned so much about the fall harvest and farm animals. We also would like to thank the parent drivers who volunteered their time!

Preschoolers from our Orlando Preschool Program were thrilled to participate in their inaugural Spirit Week event. With a "Wild West" theme to build new vocabulary, the students enjoyed partaking in activities such as Dress Like a Farmer Day and Hat Day. The highlight of the week was the popular Scholastic Book Fair, which included an appearance from the beloved children's book character Clifford the Dog. Thanks to all who made this peer and community-building event a success!

We are pleased to share that the eBook Preparing to Teach, Committing to Learn: An Introduction to Educating Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is now available for free at the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management's (NCHAM) online learning center.  With contributions from Sarah Ammerman, PhD, alumna of the Smith College/Clarke Masters of Education of the Deaf (MED) Program; Sherri Fickenscher, MS, LSLS Cert.AVEd, education support specialist and early intervention educator at Clarke; Mary Ellen Nevins, EdD, a member of Clarke's Board of Trustees; Dan Salvucci, MED, MEd, CCC-A, alumnus of the Smith/Clarke MED Program, co-director of the Clarke - Fontbonne Northeast Collaborative and former educator at Clarke; and Uma G. Soman, PhD, LSLS Cert AVEd, alumna of the Smith/Clarke MED Program, this comprehensive eBook... More >

Congratulations to Linda Baumgartner, LSLS, speech-language pathologist at our Orlando Preschool Program, who was recently presented a Certificate of Merit for her paper " Safety of Autologous Human Umbilical Cord Blood Treatment for Acquired Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Children" at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2017 Conference in Chicago, IL. The paper was presented at the Section on Advances in Therapeutics and Technology (SOATT) and was one of only three abstracts selected for presentation. Thank you for your incredible work, Linda!

After an exciting and successful #MakeSomeNoise campaign last year, we invite you to join us once again for #GivingTuesday on November 28, 2017! The more people who spread the word, the more opportunities we have to educate and engage our extended network about Clarke's mission. Here's how you can help.

• Prior to Giving Tuesday, 11/28: Check here for signs (print, pose and photograph!) and a customizable email to send to your friends and family.

• On Giving Tuesday, 11/28: Share your photo with the sign, and borrow a pre-made message here to post on social media. Like and share posts from Clarke's Facebook and Twitter handles about #GivingTuesday.

Don't forget to link to our fundraising page, clarkeschools.org/givingtuesday and use hashtags  #MakeSomeNoise and #ClarkeSchools. Your outreach and stories can truly make a difference!

Clarke's 1867 Society is a community that is passionate about changing the lives of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Named for the year Clarke was founded, The 1867 Society honors and acknowledges our most steadfast supporters and friends.  Making an annual gift at one of the giving society levels allows you to have a direct impact on the long-term sustainability of Clarke, and to make a powerful statement about the value of Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) education for children with hearing loss. Donors who give $1,000 or more by December 31, 2018, will receive a lapel pin, be invited to Clarke Insider's Nights, as well as other special events, and will be acknowledged as Charter Members of the Society in perpetuity in printed materials. 

You may wish to make a gift in memory of an individual or in honor of a special person or event. For more information about becoming a member of the 1867 Society, please contact Lillian Rountree, chief development officer, at [email protected] or 973.453.5635. Or read more about the 1867 Society >