Ohio Valley Voices
news & updates
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OVV Pickleball Tournament |
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Have a ball and raise
funds at the first-ever...
Ohio Valley Voices
Pickleball Tourney!
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Join us May 1st for this exciting springtime fundraiser where every swing supports the kids of OVV.
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What is OVV Pickleball?
At the OVV Pickleball Tournament, pickleball players from across the region will compete to win their bracket at two locations simultaneously: the Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Cincinnati, Ohio and Crestview Hills, Kentucky.
Whether you're new to the sport of pickleball or a seasoned pro, this event is a great way to usher in spring and help the children of Ohio Valley Voices on their speaking journeys. Sign up now!
How can I sign up?
To register, visit our event page, where you can select your desired giving level, choose your location, and build your team. Each giving level comes with a unique bundle of swag, drink tickets, and marketing opportunities. Click the button below to begin!
Why should I fundraise?
At the OVV Pickleball Tourney, teams won't just be competing to win on the court, they'll be vying for the title of top fundraiser too.
The team that raises the most money by May 1st will be named the Philanthropy Award winner and receive other prizes.
Best of all, they'll have the satisfaction of knowing that every child born with hearing loss in the Greater Cincinnati area has access to a bright future through OVV's early intervention therapy.
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Click the button below to fundraise
and swing for the kids of Ohio Valley Voices!
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Have an impact now! Sign up to be an OVV monthly donor! |
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Student Spotlight - Jack Dressman |
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For many families, Ohio Valley Voices is the lifeline they need after their child has been diagnosed deaf or hard of hearing. Through OVV, the Dressman family learned how to navigate the complexities of communication, education, and personal development, especially during the early years of their son Jack’s life.
Jack Dressman was diagnosed profoundly deaf in both ears at one month old. When infants are identified with hearing loss, the primary concern is often their language and social-emotional development. Jack’s parents, Amanda and Gary, accepted the diagnosis and immediately began researching options for their son.
“We knew we would figure out a way for Jack to get all the necessary intervention and instruction he needed to succeed,” Amanda states. The family’s research extended beyond Dayton, Ohio, where Jack was born. “We learned about OVV from an acquaintance of one of our family members. Sara Wolf had a son, Matthew, who attended the school, so we contacted them to learn more.”
“As soon as we toured the campus and met Maria and Molly, we knew there was no other place on this planet better suited for Jack,” Amanda adds. Children attending OVV are encouraged to learn and grow within a caring community of teachers, parents, and other children. Jack enrolled in OVV at four months old. His best friend is Logan Turk, but Jack loves all his classmates, according to his mom... (read more)
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Give our kids fun and useful tools through OVV's Amazon Wishlist! |
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Please join us for
Special Friends' Day!
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You're cordially invited to Special Friends' Day on April 29th!
This heartwarming gathering—our first since the pandemic
started—is a great way for our students' loved ones to learn firsthand about our programs, meet teachers and staff,
and do fun classroom activities with their kiddos.
Whether you're an aunt or uncle, parent or grandparent,
family friend or caregiver, we would love to have you!
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Due to restricted classroom capacity, there will be a limit of three special friends per child.
Stay tuned for more info,
including a detailed schedule
of the day's activities.
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Staff Spotlight - Kari Weinheimer |
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For veteran Listening and Spoken Language Provider (LSLP) Kari Weinheimer, working at Ohio Valley Voices is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to use her creative gifts to transform lives, one child at a time.
Since first joining the OVV team in 2014, Kari has worked as an LSLP in the Learning Center and Preschool Program, as well as an Academic Teacher in the Learning Center. In her current role, she serves as an LSLP in the Learning Center’s hybrid classroom.
Kari always knew she wanted to work with children. Growing up in West Chester, Ohio, she regularly found herself babysitting and camp counseling. Then, after taking an American Sign Language course in high school, she became interested in deaf education and deaf culture.
This passion led her to Bowling Green State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education with a focus on Mild to Moderate Intervention. While attending BGSU, she had the good fortune to see both sides of deaf education—sign and speech.
Upon graduating, Kari worked as a nanny while also helping to open a daycare for children with special needs. It proved to be a demanding but impressive start to her career... (read more)
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Sign up for our newsletter to read the latest OVV announcements! |
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Look at all the fun
our kids are having!
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Painting caterpillars, decorating cupcakes,
and barking like seals—these are just a few of the
antics our little ones have gotten into recently.
Read below for program updates!
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The Toddler Program
The toddlers recently decorated and ate real cupcakes.
It was so much fun learning during a birthday theme.
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The Exploring Center
The EC is still in their garden and bugs theme. They have been reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and painted caterpillars. They’ve been talking about how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, and they played a game where they tried catching butterflies.
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The Discovery Center
To kick off spring break, the Discovery Center kids
put on a whimsical performance of "The Seals on the Bus"
complete with animal noises and handmade costumes.
Thanks to all the parents who came out and watched!
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The Learning Center
The LC kids made bird feeders and played the rainbow dice game while learning about weather, plants, and their secondary senses.
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OVV is honored to
welcome Wash U and BC!
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During the month of April, teams from two of the country's
leading universities—Washington University and Boston College—are conducting research studies at Ohio Valley Voices.
Like OVV, these institutions are dedicated to improving
outcomes for children with hearing loss, and we are thrilled
to collaborate with them to further that mission!
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About the Wash U Study
The Washington University research team continues to conduct research related to determining the factors that will optimize spoken language and literacy outcomes for pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
This is an ongoing project that examines the effects of early perceptual
skills (and hearing device choices) on spoken language, literacy,
and quality of life outcomes in adolescence.
Children from across the United States have participated in this
study, including children from OVV. The participants in this study have
been followed longitudinally since 2013. Wash U will be at Ohio Valley Voices on April 9th to complete testing on OVV participants.
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About the BC Study
The Boston College Infant and Child Cognition Center will be
onsite at Ohio Valley Voices April 11-13th to assess OVV children who
are participants in their research, which focuses on the understanding
of quantity concepts in children with hearing loss. Ohio Valley
Voices has over twenty participants in this study!
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Special Thanks to These Partners: |
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LCNB National Bank
Mr. Charles and
Casondra Cooper
Baird Financial Services
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Sibcy Cline - Team Lach
Mr. John and
Leslie Caulfield
Dr. Charles and
Virginia Myer
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