ADVOCACY PROJECT

Sign Language to Count Toward Foreign Language Requirements at Penn State

My favorite assignments take place in the real world - outside of the classroom. Coming to Penn State, I wanted to learn sign language. My desire to learn ASL is not just because I am hard of hearing, but also because learning other languages is more difficult for me. However, I was shocked to learn that sign language would not fulfill any requirements for me. Therefore, I started gathering support to change this.
First, I created a petition. I posted this on a Penn State Facebook parents and community group. Pressure from the community and parents often results in change.
Second, I created a survey. I shared this with many students through GroupMe. The results demonstrated the willingness of students to take sign language classes. The survey illustrated that students will take this opportunity to learn sign language, which the petition could not prove.
The last part of the project involved creating posters. I used the phrase "make a change and sign". This is a pun as it alludes to sign language and signing the petition. I included both the petition and survey in a QR code below the cartoon.