In the field: Kristen Nicholson, 2007 Graduate, prepares camera for video taping of interpreting event.

The Interpreter Training Program is a two-year career program designed to prepare students to interpret/transliterate spoken English into American Sign Language and American Sign Language into spoken English while working with the Deaf and hard of hearing. The interpreter works in a variety of settings including educational, medical, community, business and occupational. The primary goal of the program is to prepare students to have the knowledge and understanding of the work of a sign language interpreter, develop language skills and be ready to take the state level screening. After a student has passed state level screening, they are ready for an entry level position where they will continue to gain knowledge and skills and prepare for national certification.

Faculty
The instructor is a Nationally Certified Interpreter with more than 25 years of interpreting experience as well as having presented at workshops across the nation. The instructor is a member of national professional organizations such as Mississippi Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (having served s president), American Sign Language Teachers Association, and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Skills are constantly upgraded by participation in workshops, seminars, and in-service sessions.

Employment Potential
Professional positions and the opportunity for advancement are unlimited for those with initiative, ability and qualifications. Employment may be found in schools, colleges, hospitals, and many other areas. Salary levels vary according to the workplace and individuals' certification or state level quality assessment level. Average starting salaries range from $8-12 per hour for entry level interpreters and can go as high as $30-$40 for experienced, nationally certified interpreters.

General Information
All training activities and instructional material emphasize the importance of maintaining high personal standards. Work habits and ethical practices required on the job are an integral part of the instruction. Students will not only receive hands-on learning experiences in the class room with industry standard equipment, but they will venture out into the Deaf Community to apply their knowledge. View the Program of Study.

Students should be ready, if they have applied themselves and successfully completed the program, to sit for the Mississippi Quality Assurance Screening. This is a state level of screening for interpreters who wish to work in the state of Mississippi. It evaluates one's sign language and interpreting skills, as well as one's knowledge of the Professional Code of Conduct. Students should also, after successfully completing the program, be ready to sit for the National Interpreting Certification Written Exam. This written exam, successfully completed along with attaining a level on the Mississippi Quality Assessment Screening, enables students to enter the interpreting field.

Contact
Sandra D. Hester, BA, NIC/NAD IV
ITT Lead Instructor
601.857.3487, 601.857.3647