Membership Benefits

PESDHH is always looking to expand our membership. For the 2022-23 school year we have 196 members working in schools for the Deaf, intermediate units, and local school districts/consortia. If you are not yet a member, please complete the Membership Application (see below). If your colleagues or supervisors are not current members, please encourage them to join us. The more ideas and perspectives the better. There is no cost to join at this time.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

The main benefit of membership is that you are part of a community of educators who, collectively, have decades of experience working with students with hearing loss. Active members can combine that intellectual power to benefit their students and themselves.

• If you have specific needs for support or for a mentor, if you have ideas for professional development or are in need of the wisdom of an experienced colleague, please feel free to contact us. Based on your correspondence, we will ask a specific member to contact you or will share your need with teachers in your region.

As a grass roots organization, PESDHH is committed to meeting the current needs of its members, therefore the schedule of professional events each year is determined by its membership. Networking might take on any of the following characteristics:

• We are open to regional meetings with a minimum of 3 teachers. Because we know you are super busy, we will bring our expertise to you. You and your colleagues can set the agenda, or keep it open just to share. We would love to know what you deal with on a daily basis.

• We can also arrange professional development sessions for larger groups. If you would like specialized training in a topic specific to hearing loss, sign language, IEPs, etc., let us know. We'll either form a group near you with similar interests or use technology to host a webinar, virtual training or online course to address your topic.

We have a twitter feed @pesdhh and #pesdhh and a Facebook Group as ways for members to network and exchange professional ideas. Follow us on social media to learn about:

• the interests of fellow educators of students who are Deaf or hard of hearing across the country

• broader educational initiatives within the field of educating students with hearing loss, such as the focus on language development in families of young children being promoted by the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and PA initiatives sponsored by PATTAN.

• research and initiatives at such institutions as CID, NTID, and Gallaudet University

• upcoming events being sponsored by professional organizations, such as ERCHL,  CAID, CEASD, NAD, and CEC.