Hearing House, Auckland

The largest grant of $6,059 was given to Auckland-based organisation the Hearing House which supports children who have received a cochlear implant but aren’t learning to listen or speak like their hearing peers. The funds will be used to purchase equipment, resources and a computer to support language and learning at The Hearing House Preschool.

Tara Young, Development Manager for The Hearing House, believes the new resources will be an integral part of the children’s learning. “There are extensive exploration areas where children can make different sounds to encourage them to develop their language skills. The new equipment and resources will provide children with rich opportunities to explore and develop an enthusiasm for learning.”

The preschool’s results speak for themselves. 96% of deaf children who complete The Hearing House programme attend mainstream school and of these children, 91% can listen and speak like their hearing peers. The programme benefits the children in the long term also.

“In later life the children will experience enhanced education and employment opportunities, and will be able to fully participate in, and contribute to, mainstream society,” says Young.