Additionally, individuals selected as RISE students must commit to:

• Attending a face-to-face intensive training at the end of June 2022;
• Completing the entire training and apprenticeship;
• Completing a pre- and post- interpreting diagnostic assessment;
• Completing a 40-hour apprenticeship immediately following the training;
• Completing a 40-hour work payback post-certification;
• Becoming available for Rural Axillary Services interpreting assignments upon receiving state-accepted certification, i.e., Registry of Interpreters (RID) National Interpreter Certification (NIC), Texas Board of Evaluation (BEI) Certification; and
• Allowing progress reports to be shared with CCDHHDB.

The goal of the RISE Project is to prepare uncertified interpreters to provide quality interpreting services in rural Colorado communities. With that, to interpret for deaf adult consumers, RID NIC or Texas BEI are the professional certifications recognized by the state of Colorado.

RISE students who complete all 8 courses in good standing and complete the required 40-hour apprenticeship will have their certification testing fees covered by the RISE Project.

In order to take a certification exam, a RISE students must either:

• hold a 4-year degree to sit for RID NIC test or
• have 60 credit hours of post-secondary coursework to sit for the Texas BEI test.

If a RISE student is accepted into the program without a minimum of 60 credit hours of post-secondary education, the RISE Project Director will work with the student to put a plan in place to complete this requirement and meet the academic requirements to sit for the Texas BEI exam.

Each course is designed to meet the learning needs of working adults. Therefore, courses are structured independent studies. Students will complete their learning online and asynchronous, completing work on their own time. Course lessons must be completed within a specific time frame (usually 6 days). Each lesson includes engagement with the instructor and other students via discussion boards as well as the submission of a lesson assignment. Students will produce interpreting samples each week and will receive feedback from the course instructor.

As additional support to skills development, Deaf language and interpreting specialists will be integrated into each course and provide distance mentoring. Individual and small group mentoring sessions will be scheduled and conducted via videoconferencing. The work focused on during the mentoring sessions will align with course content (i.e., fingerspelling, special referencing, prosody).

The time commitment required to complete each week’s lesson often depends on the RISE student’s foundational knowledge, skill, and comfort level with the content.

6-8 hours per week

Average time commitment needed to complete the various activities associated with each lesson, based on feedback from Cohort I students.

The RISE Project curriculum has been designed for the working adult, with participant progress and success a fundamental goal. The RISE Project coursework will provide both knowledge and skills content. When an individual has completed the RISE Project, a certificate of completion will be offered through the CCDHHDB and UNC ASLIS department. This curriculum is non credit-bearing, however, RID CEUs will be available.

The RISE Project is delivered as an online training. RISE students must have access to a computer, a web camera, and high-speed internet service. Basic computer skills, including use of Microsoft Word, are necessary to participate in the RISE coursework.

RISE students will also be encouraged to participate in community-engaged learning and service activities with members of their local Deaf community. This will enhance ASL skill development and contribute to the engagement of each student’s respective Deaf community.