For most of us, Vacation Bible School brings memories of fun times, songs we remember in our adulthood, and crafts that our mothers are still hanging onto. For Deaf children in a hearing church, it’s just another event with limited participation and understanding.
We’re developing a curriculum that prioritizes Deaf children with visually oriented activities and Deaf teachers who deliver the lessons in ASL on video with voice-overs and English subtitles. Live helpers interact with all the children, while the “heavy lifting” of the lesson is just a button-push away.
Our Dr. Wonder’s Workshop actors, all Deaf, volunteered to reprise their roles as Doc, Lisa, Paula, Billy, Edwin, and Carlo. They’re the primary teachers of the learning centers like the Hologram Room where kids learn to reenact the story of the day and the Lab where science comes alive in your hands. They teach classic Deaf games and Deaf variants of common childhood games. Even the Finger Food Cafe is involved, with every snack directly tied to the lesson of the day, yet healthy and budget-friendly. In all these, kids learn they can Trust God.
Accessible Worship Bible Verses Learn with the DWW cast Healthy Snacks Fun Snacks Reinforcing Lessons Deaf Culture Info Classic Deaf Games The Elephant Game God made science Learn cool stuff Enact Bible Stories Be in the scene Adapts to any church Everyone Involved Come back for more! Welcome them All
Lisa introduces kids to Deaf Culture, poetry, art, and technology. During testing, we decided to revise this segment, offering an intro track for primarily non-signing groups and a fast track for primarily signing groups.
Live tests gave us encouraging feedback and insights into some overlooked details. It will be another groundbreaking project from Dr. Wonder’s Workshop and Silent Blessings.