Back To School Bash NEW

2021 Back to School Bash For Children and Adults with Hearing Loss and Their Families July 31 2021 from 9-11am at Seven Oaks Park in Columbia

The 6th Annual Back to School Bash for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Families will take place on Saturday, July 31, 2021 at 9-11 a.m. in the Seven Oaks Park recreation center at 200 Leisure Lane, Columbia, SC. 

 
The Bash is a FREE educational and fun event for children, adults, and their families who experience the impact of hearing loss. The Bash will provide awareness regarding the myriad resources available to families concerning access to communication, language, emergency support, educational supports, and assistive technology. Families will be able to pick up free book bags full of school supplies. Note, the in-person Bash will be following the prevailing DHEC COVID-19 safety guidelines, will practice social distancing, and will have masks and hand sanitizer available.
 
Following the in-person event, we will host online webinars and trainings throughout August and September, including a social language workshop. More workshops will be announced leading up to the Bash. Finally, we will conclude our Bash with a traveling STEM Bus tour from NTID Regional STEM Center September 20-24! The STEM Bus will set up at different regions in the state with free, fun, and educational activities! We will have registration information for all events available in the next few weeks!
 
The Bash is hosted in partnership by Beginnings SC, SC Association of the Deaf, SC Hands and Voices, First Sound & Irmo Fire Department.
 
Additional funds for the Bash were generously provided by Advanced Bionics and Carter Hears!
 
While the Bash is a free event, we would like for you to register so we can see how many folks to expect! We’ll see you then!

Thank you to our 2020 Back to School Bash vendors! More TBA!

Make sure to watch for their commercials during the Bash.

Able SC
Beginnings SC
Irmo Fire Department
Lexington County EMS
S.C. AG Bell Association
S.C. Association of the Deaf
S.C. Dept. of Mental Health Deaf Services
S.C. Hands & Voices
S.C. Thrive
The Quill School

Did you miss out on our 2020 Back to School Bash virtual conference?

You can watch the 2020 Back to School Bash presentations here! We have a playlist that features the Bash in its entirety, as well as each individual presentation available for viewing.

2020 Bash Presentations:

Raising the Bar for DHH Children, Teens & Adults | Aileen Welch, SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept.

Audism, Racism, and Ableism in the DHH Community | Amelia England, SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept.

Teaching DHH Students Virtually | Mariann Carter, Carter Hears! and The Quill School

IEPs, Pandemics, and Your Rights | Jennifer Rainville, South Carolina Legal Services

Challenges of Meeting Social-Emotional Needs During COVID-19 | Jennifer Villar, SC Dept. of Mental Health Deaf Services

Watch the 2020 Bash!