2021 GTC Activities

The Graduation to Certification project has multiple elements intended to support recent Interpreter Education Program graduates who are on a professional journey to competence, including earning certification, and to help us learn about effective practices to share with the field.

An Opportunity for a No Cost NIC Interview & Performance Exam

For IEP Grads between May 2019 and December 2020

The CATIE Center, supported by a grant from US Department of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration, (#H160C160001) is looking for 30 recent graduates from IEP baccalaureate programs who are interested in taking the NIC Interview and Performance Exam at no cost to them in June 2021.  Additionally, you will take other assessments including the ASLPI (ASL Proficiency Interview), also at no cost. By participating, you will help us better understand the preparedness of graduates from baccalaureate IEP programs as well as the effectiveness of curriculum resources the CATIE Center has developed through this grant.

Applications are now closed.

Requirements

To be eligible for this support, recent graduates need to have:

  • Passed the RID knowledge exam by December 31, 2020
  • Graduated from a baccalaureate IEP between May 2019 and December 2020 or have completed the RID Alternate Pathway.
  • Intend to interpret for adults in community, professional, and post-secondary settings.
  • Submit an English essay, ASL essay, and sample interpretation.
    When you complete the initial application, you will receive an invitation to a free Canvas course that provides all the details of the essays and interpretation.
  • Email of a Deaf community member willing to complete a reference form.
  • Email of a person willing to support you in pursuing this commitment through June 2021.

Potential Benefits

  • You will take the ASLPI in January and again 6 – 7 months later at no cost to you and get your results.
  • You will take the NIC Performance test in June at no charge to you and receive the results.

What’s Involved?

If accepted, this is what you are committing to doing:

  • Complete a PRE survey in January (30 mins) and a POST survey in June (30 mins).
  • Take the ASLPI twice (once in January/February and once again in summer 2021).
  • Take the NIC Performance test in June.
    (The CATIE Center will pay the cost of the member-rate for the exam.)
Application Window is Passed

GTC Journey Track

Designed for self-starters, participants in this track will access resources from the Graduation to Certification program to move on a self-directed journey from graduation to certification. This track offers great flexibility and rewards, regardless of your location, where you are on your path, and your timeline for certification. It is ideal for novice interpreters who would like to work at their own pace.

In 2021, we will be offering a separate track for deaf and hearing interpreters that have a module that is released each month.  Check out “What’s Included” for details.

No Requirements

There are no requirements to be a part of the GTC Journey track. It is designed for anyone who is working toward certification or is supporting novice interpreters who are working toward certification.  Anyone is welcome to take advantage of as much or as little of the GTC Journey track resources as you would like.

Who should register?

  • An interpreting student nearing graduation,
  • An interpreter working towards certification,
  • An interpreter educator interested in new resources for your program, or
  • An interpreting mentor or ASL coach who works with novice interpreters.

Potential Benefits

The GTC Journey track is for self-guided learning. You will have opportunity to access ASL and English educational materials designed with evidence-based approaches that maximize the way learning and memory works.  You also will have the chance to meet other novice interpreters who are in a similar stage of their career and work together as colleagues.

What is included?

In 2021, we will offer a  module a month for both the Deaf interpreter and hearing interpreter track.

Participants who complete all the requirements will earn a certificate of completion and, if they are ACET members, can earn CEUs through RID’s ACET program.  Because our target audience is interpreters working toward certification, NO CEUS for the CMP program are available.

Tentative Schedule

Month Deaf Interpreter Track Hearing Interpreter Track
January Deliberate Practice for Deaf Interpreters Effective Learning and Practice
February Deaf Perspectives on Translation Translation Strategies:  ASL to English
March DeafBlind Interpreting Modules A Month-long Plan:  Fingerspelled Word Recognition, Classifiers, and Composure
April Body Language for Deaf Interpreters: Cardio Body Language for Hearing Interpreters:  Cardio
May Listen Well: Engaging Black Deaf Perspectives Listen Well: Engaging Black Deaf Perspectives
June CASLI Performance Exam Preparation for Deaf Interpreters NIC Certification Exam Preparation

Access to GoReact

The CATIE Center also has a GoReact course set up that allows you to work with a mentor on your work using GoReact. This is optional.  Cost is $65/year of access. If you bought a multi-year license in school and still have time left on that license, you will be able to use this GoReact without additional cost.

Register

GTC Resource Library

The Graduation to Certification project has collected videos and activities in a searchable database. Designed to support novice interpreters in their professional journey to competence, the resource library will be enhanced in 2021. If you are interested in going through a Scavenger Hunt activity to get familiar with the Resource Library, you can go through this online module.

Check out the Resource Library

2021 GTC Cohort

This year, the GTC cohort is collaboration with a few institutions and organizations to identify best practices to support novice interpreters in their journey from graduation to certification. The participants were selected in late fall of 2020.  The cohort will be running from January through June 2021 and implementing what we have learned from previous years’ cohorts. We look forward to sharing the results of these efforts in the final half of 2021.