The sound of laughter and conversation mixed with the rustling of cookie bags as students and families gathered around the ASL Club’s table at the Deer Canyon Holiday Bazaar Fundraiser, Dec. 12. There, club members drew people in with a colorful poster displaying basic hand signs, while children eagerly learned how to spell their names in American Sign Language. Nearby, people decorated paper hands shaped into the ASL sign for “love,” spreading the warm holiday spirit.

The fundraiser was organized for Deaf Community Services while promoting awareness of American Sign Language. The club sold cookies for one dollar each and offered interactive activities that encouraged people to learn ASL. 

Yoonah Bae (10), the ASL Club’s artistic director, said the event had a great turnout.

“We raised about $90 and around 50 people bought our cookies,” she said. “There were kids that were really interested in learning ASL, and they would bring their friends to learn how to sign their names. There were also a lot of adults who were very interested in learning about what we do as a club.”

Bae said the best moments of the event came from the interactions she shared with the people attending.

“There was this one lady who shared her daughter’s story with ASL, and it was really sweet,” she said. “Her daughter learned ASL so she could talk to her friend’s parents because both of her friend’s parents were deaf. I was able to learn about a lot of different situations or people’s experiences with ASL. A lot of people had acquaintances who were deaf or mute or needed to use ASL. It just reminded me of how important it is.”

In addition to the bazaar, the ASL Club regularly works with local elementary and middle schools, including Deer Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Adobe Bluffs. Club members visit classrooms to teach introductory ASL lessons on Wednesday mornings. 

“Sometimes we teach in different classrooms and do one lesson every week,” she said. “I’ve taught it before around five times, and the kids were very interested. They have had a lot of experiences with deaf people that I didn’t expect, so it was nice.”

In school meetings, the ASL Club focuses on both learning and practicing American Sign Language. Bae said the club emphasizes creating an inclusive space where all students can learn and become more confident in using ASL.

“We typically start teaching the lesson, and every week we have a different lesson,” she said. “We learn basic signs from a slideshow. When it’s near Christmas, we do a Christmas lesson, so we learn Christmas signs. Sometimes we have activities to do, like drawing on turkey hands and writing what we’re thankful for and then signing it.”

Reflecting on the event, Bae said that the bazaar helped her better understand how to teach and communicate with people of all ages.

“I learned how to talk and teach more,” she said. “Especially to adults, because there were a lot of adults buying the cookies. Just sharing our stories of ASL and how we got to learn ASL was nice. ASL Club taught me a lot of things, and it helped me learn how important it is to open up to diverse things.”