Central/Western Nebraska Partnership
For Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Educational interpreters working in the public schools in the State of Nebraska are required to have an EIPA rating of 3.5 or above.   In order to comply with this law, the Central Western Nebraska Partnership (CWNP) sponsors mentoring and workshops for the educational interpreters through Boys Town in addition to the mentoring provided by CWNP's mentor, Paula Rutten.  This training is provided to help the interpreters improve their skills, if they have not achieved a 3.5 level.   It is also a vital part of the professional development for those interpreters at or above the required 3.5 skill level.

The schedule for Boys Town mentoring is reviewed in late spring for the next school year.   Tentative dates are chosen throughout the year except for the months of December (Christmas holidays) and January (Storytelling Festival).   Those dates are then discussed with Frances Beaurivage and Daniel Darnall (the current Boys Town Mentors) to be confirmed with their schedules.   Once the dates are confirmed, the locations for mentoring and workshops are chosen throughout the central western region.   Each month a different location and topic are planned.   Two full day workshops are set up (one in the fall and one in the spring).    All others are set up for an evening session.   All registrations must come through the partnership office at ESU#9.   If there are less than eight (8) participants, the workshop will be cancelled.

The interpreter mentor will contact the local educational interpreters (who are below the 3.5 EIPA) to schedule one on one mentoring with Boys Town prior to the training.   If an interpreter above the 3.5 level has a special need, a mentoring session can be scheduled as well.   Then the CWNP interpreter mentor will notify Frances and Daniel of the itinerary for that month.

The interpreters being mentored need to have a videotape of themselves to review with the mentors.   It needs to be on a VHS tape for easy viewing.   The CWNP mentor will coordinate with the educational interpreter to be sure that a room and TV/VCR are reserved for the mentoring session.  

The CWNP interpreter mentor will substitute in the classroom for the educational interpreter during the mentoring session.

Upcoming workshops and events

April 12 & 13-EIPA testing, Hastings
April 19-Deaf Nation/ASL Festival, Omaha
April 24-Boys Town Workshop, Scottsbluff (available via polycom) 
July 7-10-EIPA Workshop, Aurora