The Silent Garden
Silent Garden Lecture
Supported by the Silent Garden Education Fund through a grant from the Laurence W. Levine Foundation and many other friends of the Silent Garden, the Silent Garden Lectures bring education and awareness to the Central Valley and beyond.
The lecture series began in 2013 as a way to foster opportunity, understanding and awareness for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Through an endowment from The Silent Garden Education Fund, continued support for workshops and other outreach opportunities for alumni, friends, practitioners, educators and family members are made available.
2026 Silent Garden Lecture
Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST
The virtual presentation will focus on "Interpreting with a Deaf Heart: Building Access in K-12 Education" and will include six keynote speakers, who will share how to be successful K-12 interpreters in classroom settings using care, passion and positivity for Deaf and hard of hearing students.
Speakers and Presentations:
The following topics will be presented in order of appearance at the Silent Garden
Lecture.
( Speaker: Emily Girardin) Participants explore how school interpreters can create
meaningful access for Deaf and hard of hearing students by navigating educational
systems, collaborating with the educational team, and responding to diverse learner
needs. Ecological systems perspectives and professional standards frame a practical,
growth-oriented approach to strengthening interpreting in K–12 settings. (Speaker: Pam Mascitto) Educational interpreters must meet Deaf students where they
are, recognizing their diverse backgrounds and potential trauma. Focus on modeling
well, using creative storytelling, and actively building connections between students,
peers, and teachers. Do not answer every question; facilitate relationships. Ensure
students are learning and growing daily.
(Speaker: Kari Brecht) As an interpreter in middle school or high school, you interpret
a lot of content! Have you ever wondered about elevating your work or reawakening
your learning? As educational interpreters, we look to each other for strategies,
tools, and resources to elevate our work to benefit the students we serve.
(Speaker: Amanda Kennon) Inspired by community voices, lived experience, professional
practice, and research, participants will be introduced to neurodiversity and the
biodiversity metaphor. During this session, interpreters will be encouraged to embrace
a growth mindset that allows all to thrive—not just survive—in an inclusive environment
that celebrates and cultivates neurodiversity.
(Speaker: Charley Thorn) A thoroughly trained and dedicated Certified Deaf Interpreter
(CDI) works in tandem with a Certified Hearing Interpreter (CHI) to bring full inclusion
to Deaf and hard of hearing students in mainstream settings. This CDI is a native
user of American Sign Language, incorporating Deaf culture in providing accurate and
thorough interpretation in the classroom. With a heart for working with Deaf and hard
of hearing K-12 students and armed with research and best practices, this CDI serves
as a language role model for Deaf and hard of hearing students.
(Speaker: Mary Darragh MacLean) A certified interpreter and manager of K-12 interpreters
will close the conference with words of encouragement and support, based on her own
experiences and reflecting on what the panelists/speakers have shared of theirs. Bringing
a Deaf Heart to classroom interpreting requires a deep commitment by interpreters
and those in supportive roles around them. Fostering collaboration and growth is essential
for the long-term positive impact K-12 interpreters can have on language access and
student learning/thriving.
Building Authentic Access: Understanding Systems, Collaboration, and Student-Centered
Interpreting in K-12 Education
Working with Little Humans Who may not Know How to Work with You
Ignite, Elevate, Achieve: Awaken Your Inner Drive
Cultivating Neurodiversity in the Classroom
CDI’s Role in K-12 Classrooms
Managing Classroom Interpreters in the K-12 Setting, with Deaf-Heart as the Guiding
Principle
8:15 a.m.
Welcome Ceremony
8:30 - 9:15 a.m.
Presentation: "Building Authentic Access: Understanding Systems, Collaboration, and
Student-Centered Interpreting in K-12 Education" by Emily Girardin
9:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Break
9:30 – 10:15 a.m.
Presentation: "Working with little humans who may not know how to work with you" by
Pam Mascitto
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Presentation: "Ignite, Elevate, Achieve: Awaken Your Inner Drive" by Kari Brecht
11:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Presentation: "Cultivating Neurodiversity in the Classroom" by Amanda Kennon
12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
Lunch Break
1:15 – 2:00 p.m.
Presentation: "CDI’s Role in K-12 Classroom" by Charley Thorn
2:00 - 2:15 p.m.
Break
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.
Panel of Interpreters
3:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Break
3:30 - 4:15 p.m.
Presentation: "Managing classroom interpreters in the k-12 setting, with Deaf-heart
as the guiding principle" by Mary Darragh MacLean
4:15 p.m.
Closing Ceremony
More Information
Accessibility
- ASL interpreting and captioning will be provided
CEUs
- 0.7 RID and BEI CEUs available
Sponsors
- Fresno State College of Health and Human Services
- The Silent Garden Education Fund
- Laurence W. Levine Foundation, Inc.
- Emblem Club Scholarship Foundation