Seattle Central Community College                                                             Interpreter Training Program

Student Volunteer Interpreter

Students in the Interpreting Training Program at Seattle Central Community College offer volunteer interpreting services for events where professional interpreters are not provided. All requests are reviewed by department faculty.

Please make your request at least two weeks in advance of the event and include all the following information:

• Date?
• Where?
• What time? (start and finish time)
• What is the event?
• How can we contact you? We need your e-mail address or phone number. (If you do not provide this information we cannot provide student interpreters.)

The best way to make a request for a student interpreter is by e-mail to:

Availability:

Students are available to provide volunteer interpreting services only if they are not in classes and will attend all events in a team of two. A student will reply to your message within two-three days so you know we have received your request.

All requests for volunteers will be checked by department faculty. Students provide free interpreting service to help them learn how to interpret and work with Deaf people in the community. Your requests to have students interpret for you help prepare them to be skilled professional interpreters.

Students cannot provide interpreting service at any assignment which has funding available to pay professional interpreters. We also cannot provide service for the following settings:

• Legal
• Medical
• Mental Health counseling
• Police interviews
• School related such as I.E.P. meetings, disciplinary action etc.

If you are not sure if your request is appropriate for students, please send it to us and we will let you know if it's possible for students to attend. Examples of the kind of events where students provide interpreting include:

• Family reunions
• Variety of Sporting events or lessons
• Co-op housing meetings
• Cub Scouts, etc.
• Deaf children's activities
• Children's activities that Deaf parents wish to attend

Since our students are volunteering their time and cannot be reimbursed for their interpreting work, it would be a nice courtesy if you offer to pay for gas and/or a meal if it is part of the event.

Sincerely yours,

Brenda Aron and Dave Morrison
ITP instructors, SCCC