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ASIAN KODA & DEAF YOUTH SUMMER CAMP

*KODA: Kids of Deaf Adults

Logo Description: The logo consists of a turquoise circle with two lines of text curving around it. The outer top line reads "ASIAN KODA AND DEAF," while the outer bottom line reads "SUMMER CAMP." The circle contains two images: one of a tan camping tent with a white I-L-Y shape and red love symbol behind a green forest background, and the other of a boy and a girl communicating in American Sign Language while sitting on a dark brown bench. The text below the images reads "SINCE 2023".

Introduction

Throughout the year, the Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association (MADA) hosts cultural and social events for the purpose of promoting the Asian Deaf community, recruiting potential Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf Plus members, enriching Asian culture and values, and guiding the next generation of Asian and non-Asian children through summer camps.

 

The Asian Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA) & Deaf Youth Summer Camp offers fun, rewarding, exciting & safe summer camping experiences for Asian Deaf Youths and KODAs ages 5-17. A variety of activities and programs are offered within an Asian setting and environment that are fun, rewarding and enriching.

Mission

The mission of this Asian KODA & Deaf Youth Camp is to educate, protect, and enrich the Asian Deaf Community in learning more about Asian culture, values, and identity by educating both adults and children from Asian and non-Asian backgrounds.

 

To accomplish this mission, camp leaders, staff members, and volunteers need to work together to achieve a balance that protects as well as challenges each camper. Camp participants come from diverse backgrounds and have a variety of expectations and needs. The most effective way to serve each camp is to set clear objectives that define the course for camp leaders.

Vision

  1. To advocate the campers understand and embrace their dual cultural identity as part of both the Deaf community and their specific Asian heritage.

  2. To provide a safe space where campers can learn and practice sign language or improve their existing skills, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively with their peers, family, and wider society.

  3. To empower the Deaf children and Kids of Deaf Adults to confidently navigate a Deaf and hearing worlds, with activities that boost self-esteem, promote leadership skills, and foster independence.

  4. To help campers recognize and address the unique challenges they face, offering resources for coping and providing a supportive community where they can share experiences and advice in Asian environment.

  5. To offer insights into various educational and career paths, providing role models from within the Asian Deaf community who can share their experiences and guide the campers in their future endeavors.

  6. To create Asian-valued environment where campers can establish lasting friendships with others who share similar experiences, offering an essential support network and sense of belonging.

  7. To engage Deaf/Hard of Hearing parents of Deaf and hearing children in workshops and discussions that improve their understanding of their child’s world, teach them effective communication strategies, and provide them with resources for additional support.

History

In November 2022, the Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association (MADA) formally agreed to partner with Min Cho to intiate Asian Deaf Youth and KODA Summer Camp project aimed at attracting mainly Asian Deaf Communities with CODA & Deaf children. The Asian minority represents one of the fastest-growing groups in the country. Today in America, we are experiencing severe "winds of change," which require us to come together as one community to define and address issues faced by Asians who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Today, this calling is more urgent than ever. The rich diversity of our heritage, as well as the languages, cultures, and generations preserved in our heritage, is something we should hold close to our hearts. The education, empowerment, and leadership we provide to our respective communities and organizations cannot ever stop. The Asian Deaf Youth & KODA Summer Camp is made possible by the strong collaboration between Clement So and Min Cho as Co-Leaders.

 

Min Cho and Clement So were the original founders of the Asian Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA) & Deaf Youth Summer Camp in March 2023.

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