Description
Registration will open in March 2026.
Adventure awaits at Camp T! Bring your little explorers and have fun with friends as we play, laugh, and learn together. At this event, parents/caregivers and children, ages 0-5, who are blind or low vision (BLV) and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), will enjoy story time and participate in other fun activities including music, movement, crafts and more. Siblings are also invited to attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience
This program is for Michigan families of children, ages 0-5, who are BLV or DHH.
Other Program Dates
Little Explorers events will also be held on the following dates:
September 13: Camp T Little Explorers: September
November 8: Camp T Little Explorers: November
January 10: Camp T Little Explorers: January
March 14: Camp T Little Explorers: March
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.
Description
Registration will open in January 2026.
Adventure awaits at Camp T! Bring your little explorers and have fun with friends as we play, laugh, and learn together. At this event, parents/caregivers and children, ages 0-5, who are blind or low vision (BLV) and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), will enjoy story time and participate in other fun activities including music, movement, crafts and more. Siblings are also invited to attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience
This program is for Michigan families of children, ages 0-5, who are BLV or DHH.
Other Program Dates
Little Explorers events will also be held on the following dates:
September 13: Camp T Little Explorers: September
November 8: Camp T Little Explorers: November
January 10: Camp T Little Explorers: January
May 9: Camp T Little Explorers: May
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.
Description
Registration will open in November 2025.
Adventure awaits at Camp T! Bring your little explorers and have fun with friends as we play, laugh, and learn together. At this event, parents/caregivers and children, ages 0-5, who are blind or low vision (BLV) and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), will enjoy story time and participate in other fun activities including music, movement, crafts and more. Siblings are also invited to attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience
This program is for Michigan families of children, ages 0-5, who are BLV or DHH.
Other Program Dates
Little Explorers events will also be held on the following dates:
September 13: Camp T Little Explorers: September
November 8: Camp T Little Explorers: November
March 14: Camp T Little Explorers: March
May 9: Camp T Little Explorers: May
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.
Description
Registration will open in September 2025.
Adventure awaits at Camp T! Bring your little explorers and have fun with friends as we play, laugh, and learn together. At this event, parents/caregivers and children, ages 0-5, who are blind or low vision (BLV) and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), will enjoy story time and participate in other fun activities including music, movement, crafts and more. Siblings are also invited to attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience
This program is for Michigan families of children, ages 0-5, who are BLV or DHH.
Other Program Dates
Little Explorers events will also be held on the following dates:
September 13: Camp T Little Explorers: September
January 10: Camp T Little Explorers: January
March 14: Camp T Little Explorers: March
May 9: Camp T Little Explorers: May
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.
Description
Registration will open in July 2025.
Adventure awaits at Camp T! Bring your little explorers and have fun with friends as we play, laugh, and learn together. At this event, parents/caregivers and children, ages 0-5, who are blind or low vision (BLV) and/or deaf or hard of hearing (DHH), will enjoy story time and participate in other fun activities including music, movement, crafts and more. Siblings are also invited to attend.
A light lunch will be provided.
Audience
This program is for Michigan families of children, ages 0-5, who are BLV or DHH.
Other Program Dates
Little Explorers events will also be held on the following dates:
November 8: Camp T Little Explorers: November
January 10: Camp T Little Explorers: January
March 14: Camp T Little Explorers: March
May 9: Camp T Little Explorers: May
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.
Description
This eight-week online class is for school personnel who have little or no American Sign Language (ASL) skills and support students in Michigan who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). The class will focus on the basics of ASL, including signs for everyday use. This class has been approved for 8 SCECHs.
This class typically has a wait list. Please ensure your schedule allows you to attend all sessions before registering.
Audience
This class is for school personnel in Michigan who have little or no American Sign Language (ASL) skills and support students who are DHH.
Presenter
Nicole Gaines holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from Madonna University. Gaines was an adjunct professor and ASL teacher at Lansing Community College’s interpreter training program for four years. She also served as an ASL specialist for Bloomfield Hills Schools’ DHH program, teaching ASL and Deaf Culture/Literature to children and teens. Gaines is currently a case manager for the Deaf Community Advocacy Network (Deaf C.A.N.), working with adults in the community who are DHH.
Required Technology
This class will be conducted online via Zoom; participants do not need to have Zoom, but they must have internet access and a computer with a camera. (Tablets and smartphones are not conducive to learning the content of this class.) Instructions will be provided beforehand on how to access the class. Please review Zoom Tips and Shortcuts for Participants [PDF] before the class begins.
Online Event Expectations
Participants are expected to be respectful and courteous to others during this class. MDE-LIO reserves the right to mute, turn off video, and/or remove participants who do not adhere to this expectation.
Groups
Attendees must also be able to log into and participate in this class individually; it is not conducive to group participation.
Accessibility Accommodations
It is important for participants to request accommodations at least three weeks prior to the online event. Outside agencies MDE-LIO contracts with to provide accommodations cannot guarantee services if requests are made in less than three weeks.
Description
Registration will open in July 2025.
Start your school year with a fall two-day conference opportunity to connect and learn about the latest in the field of Deaf Education! Professionals, school personnel, and families from across Michigan are invited to this conference to focus on Language for Life: Transforming Education for the Whole Child regarding students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). This event will feature leaders and professionals at the national and state levels presenting on a variety of topics, including current research and evidence-based practices you can start using immediately. Don’t miss this chance to gain ideas, network, and collaborate on ways to transform education for the whole child.
Audience
This conference is for professionals and school personnel working with students in Michigan who are DHH. Adult family members raising children who are DHH are welcome to attend the entire conference or the one-day option with included family-specific breakout sessions.
Accessibility Accommodations
It is important for participants to request accessibility accommodations at least three weeks prior to the event. Outside agencies MDE-LIO contracts with to provide accommodations cannot guarantee services if requests are made in less than three weeks.
Description
The Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) movement works to end language deprivation and ensure that children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) have a strong language foundation and are kindergarten-ready. The effort provides families with information on language milestones and assessments for children ages 0-5. The launch of LEAD-K in Michigan is just around the corner.
Come join us to learn about LEAD-K Michigan and how you can be a partner in leading our youngest learners on their journey toward kindergarten readiness. This event will have learning opportunities for early childhood DHH providers and for parents of children, ages 0-5, who are DHH. Language milestones in both American Sign Language (ASL) and English, as well as tools and assessments to track and monitor language and literacy development of children, ages 0-5, who are DHH, will be shared. A light dinner will be provided.
Audience
This event is for adult family members, school personnel, and professionals working with children in Michigan, ages 0-5, who are deaf/hard of hearing.
(Adult family members may bring children. However, there will not be childcare or activities provided for the children.)
Alternative Dates
If you are unable to attend on this date, consider attending another Launching LEAD-K Michigan event:
Launching LEAD-K Michigan: Northern Michigan
Date: June 9, 2025
Location: Traverse City, MI
Launching LEAD-K Michigan: Eastern Michigan
Date: June 16, 2025
Location: Detroit, MI
Accessibility Accommodations
It is important for participants to request accessibility accommodations at least three weeks prior to the event. Outside agencies MDE-LIO contracts with to provide accommodations cannot guarantee services if requests are made in less than three weeks.
Description
It’s time to connect and learn about the latest in the field of educational interpreting! Join your colleagues from around the state for this two-day conference. This event will feature leaders and professionals at the national and state levels with current research and evidence-based practices you can start using immediately. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and network with your peers statewide!
Registration is required prior to the conference. Walk-ins will not be accepted.
MI CEUs and RID CEUs are pending.
Audience
This conference is for educational interpreters who have current/updated credentials and serve students, grades K-12, in Michigan who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) or deafblind. Interpreter training program (ITP) students are also welcome to attend.
Presenter
Whitney Weirick, PhD, NIC-A, EIPA 4.5, is an independent researcher, author, coach and consultant. She has been a certified interpreter since 2010 and her most recent position was assistant professor of practice in the Deaf Studies and Educational Interpreting Program at the University of Arizona (2022-2024). Dr. Weirick is focused on advancing educational equity for deaf students through critical examinations of interpreting policy and practice in K-12 schools. Her research explores supervision and coaching models that better center the needs of diverse deaf students. She is passionate about interpreting in educational settings and has interpreted for deaf students from Pre-K to PhD.
Dr. Weirick’s work is rooted in respect for Deaf communities worldwide. As a person of mixed ancestry (European, Indigenous/Mexican), she seeks to recruit more linguistically and culturally diverse people into the interpreting profession.
Description
Students from across the state who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) are invited to come together for a fun-filled two-night event. Students will have an opportunity to connect and learn from each other’s unique experiences while participating in traditional camp activities like swimming, fishing, canoeing, climbing the rock tower, conquering the challenge course, and building their archery skills. We will also play sports and games that will create lasting memories and friendships. Come rain or shine! Don’t miss out on this Camp Tuhsmeheta adventure!
Audience
This event is for students in Michigan who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and are ages 10-17 when camp is held.
Required Camper Forms
In addition to registering, attendees are required to fill out a camper information form packet for this event. Please download and fill out the packet below, one for each individual in your group. Bring the completed packet with you to the event.
Camper Information and Consent Packet [PDF]
Accessibility Accommodations
To meet the safety and health needs of all camp participants, we require notification of any accessibility accommodation needs at least three weeks prior to the event. Due to the nature of activities provided at Camp T, additional staffing may be required to adjust activities for individual students. If notification is not provided in advance, this may result in alternative options for participation.