Building the foundation for the next generation
Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center
Resources for deaf and hard of hearing children, their families, and the professionals that work with them.
The Clerc Center at Gallaudet University is your one-stop for deaf education resources. It provides information, training, and technical assistance for families with deaf or hard of hearing children and the professionals that work with them. Learn More
Located on Gallaudet’s campus, KDES is an accredited day school for deaf and hard of hearing students from birth through 8th grade. KDES is the Clerc Center’s demonstration elementary and middle school. Tuition is free, and students are from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Learn More
Located on Gallaudet’s campus, MSSD is an accredited four-year school with day and residential deaf and hard of hearing students. In addition, MSSD is the Clerc Center’s demonstration high school.
Tuition is free, and students come from all over the United States and its territories.
The Clerc Center and KDES also provide early intervention programs and resources, including the Early Childhood Education Center’s Parent-Infant Program and sign language classes for families.
Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD)
The Clerc Center is responsible for the operation of both KDES and MSSD. Together, these schools provide K-12 education to their students and produce tools and resources to serve our communities through collaborations throughout the country.
Through its affiliation with Gallaudet University, a renowned institution of research and education, University students and researchers participate in classes and mentor MSSD students. Their relationship to Gallaudet ensures dynamic practice, current theory, and customized education for students.
Nationwide Partnerships
Gallaudet’s Regional Centers support our undergraduate and graduate programs by providing resources from the Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center for outside training programs, workshops, conferences, youth programs, technical assistance, and consultation to our communities.
East: Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, MA
Midwest: Austin Community College, Austin, TX
West: Ohlone College, Fremont, CA
South: Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, Talladega, AL
Info to Go
Between The Clerc Center and Gallaudet University, there is a wealth of knowledge available to families and professionals interested in learning more about the signing community.
Info to Go gives you the best resources and information for deaf and hard of hearing youth.
PK-12: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Resources
K-12 ASL Content Standards
The Clerc Center developed the K-12 ASL Content Standards to give educators across the nation a resource with realistic benchmarks and indicators to plan for ASL instruction for deaf and hard of hearing students and ensure the linguistic development of their students.
Learn More About K-12 ASL Content Standards
Research at the Clerc Center
Our research efforts support the mission of The Clerc Center by developing, evaluating, and disseminating innovative resources, techniques, and materials to serve educators and deaf or hard of hearing individuals across the nation.
Clerc Center Research Projects
Odyssey Magazine
Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education is an award-winning annual publication from The Clerc Center. Each theme-based issue focuses on relevant research, philosophy, and application of the practice and instruction in the deaf education classroom.
Subscribe to OdysseyGallaudet Youth Programs
Gallaudet offers exciting and empowering programs for deaf and hard of hearing youth. Our programs and competitions are open to students from any middle or high school and will support your child in developing their identity, knowledge, skills, leadership, and self-confidence.
Our Youth Programs provide an environment for students to learn and improve their American Sign Language (ASL) skills. Our camps, programs, and competitions provide the perfect space to make connections with peers, be immersed in an ASL environment, and enter into a journey of self-discovery along the way.
Engaging Summer Competitions
