Although the Sertoma Club Grant program wasn't specifically created for our international hearing health mission, I’ll admit that I have an extra appreciation when one of the grants supports children who are hard of hearing or deaf. I like to imagine that these are these are the types of programs Sertomans of yesteryear imagined when they adopted the hearing health mission back in 1971. I am even more confident that it represents some of the purest Service to Mankind out there.

The Lafayette Breakfast Sertoma Club’s most recent grant from Sertoma will benefit students in the Lafayette Parish Deaf Education Program, which includes children from elementary school through high school. The donation funded technical equipment and reading supplies designed especially for this student population.

For instance, high school students have been able to utilize a new color printer with a document camera to foster greater communication in the classroom. The new tool allows them to more easily collaborate, share notes and peer tutor.

“It’s proven to be an incredibly useful tool for enlarging documents and images to make learning more accessible,” Club Treasurer Stephanie Guidry explained. “The color printer has allowed students to create more vibrant, high-quality projects, boosting both engagement and pride in their work.”

Elementary students now have new bilingual trace boards and grammar boards to help them with language fundamentals. They are able to build sentences and learn the various parts of speech. This hands-on approach has really helped reinforce grammar concepts in the classroom.

“Across all age groups, the students are thrilled and deeply appreciative to have access to this new equipment, which has significantly enriched their learning experience,” Guidry shared.

The Lafayette Breakfast Sertoma Club has been part of the Lafayette, La., community since April 1989. To learn more about the club, visit their Facebook page.