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Benro T. Olives, Director

Workshop Descriptions

BEI Preparation Workshops Descriptions

Preparing for the BEI Test of English Proficiency

Presenter: Stephanie Rotheram
CE: 12 IL CE Only
Course Description: This session will provide candidates with strategies and decision-making techniques to improve English comprehension and give them a knowledge base for the Test of English Proficiency (TEP). They will focus on how to analyze a written passage and understand the relationship of ideas within the passage, and work with vocabulary that falls outside their comfort zone.  It will allow for hands-on practice with sentences containing missing items, as well as identifying synonyms and antonyms. 
IMPORTANT: Your participation in all four sessions in order of sequence is required. You will not be allowed nor receive the credit or CEUs for missing or skipping sessions.
Audience: Interpreting Students and Working Interpreters Planning to Take the BEI Test of English Proficiency.

Preparing for the BEI Basic Certification Test

Presenters: Kim Hunt and Lauri Metcalf
CE: 18 IL CE Only
Course Description: This workshop will walk pre-certified interpreters through an overview of certification testing, providing examples and opportunities for hands-on practice and discussion for those preparing to sit for a performance test. There will be components of the workshop to help participants differentiate between expressive interpreting and expressive transliterating as well as receptive interpreting and sight translation. Through video examples, open dialogue, vocabulary discussion and hands-on practice, attendees will complete the workshop with a better understanding of how to utilize the necessary skills when sitting for the BEI Basic test.
IMPORTANT: Your participation in all six sessions in order of sequence is required. You will not be allowed nor receive the credit or CEUs for missing or skipping sessions. Participants will need to purchase a GoReact Account $31.99 for 6 months access to all practice activities.
Audience: Working Interpreters & Interpreting Students Planning to Take the BEI Basic Test.

Preparing for the BEI Advanced Performance Test

Presenters: Lauri Metcalf  & Alaina Webb 
CE: 12 IL CE, 1.2 PS RID CEUs
Course Description: The focus of this workshop is to help candidates prepare for the BEI Advanced Performance Test including review of the five sections and expectations of the BEI Advanced Performance Test. Participants will have the opportunity for hands on deliberate practice in both individual and group activities.
IMPORTANT: Your participation on both days is required. Participants will need to purchase a GoReact Account $31.99 for 6 months access to all practice activities. 
Audience: Certified Interpreters Planning to Take the BEI Advanced Test

Professional Development Workshops Descriptions

Deaf Interpreter Training

Presenters: Carla Shird & Jerrin George 
Course Description: 16-hour Deaf Interpreter Training designed for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants, enabling them to earn certificates eligible for provisional licensing under Section 1515.90 of the Interpreter for the Deaf Licensure Act of 2007 Rules.

The training will consist of:

  • 8 hours on the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct, including the ethics of professional interpreting.
  • 8 hours on the role and process of interpreting, focusing on fundamental skills and best practices.
  • An additional focus on ethnic and cultural diversity to enhance understanding and inclusivity in the interpreting profession.

Human Anatomy & Physiology

EVENT CANCELLED

Due to unforseen circumstances.  

Presenter: Nigel Howard

CE: 12 IL CE, RID PS 1.2 CEUs

Description: The workshop will focus on the ability to utilize ASL in an effective and efficient manner for a variety of courses in educational settings, and in medical settings.  Rather than fingerspelling which defects the purpose of educational Acquisition ‘for Deaf persons in both educational and medical settings.  Visualization sensibility will be applied including 3D creation and placement. For example, a wide range of physiology will be presented and practiced focusing on functions and roles of some organs (i.e., heart) and systems (circulation). Included will be some basic to advanced anatomy features presented in 3D production in ASL.  The two-day workshop will be highly interactive for participants to practice classifiers for different parts of the body and differentiate between the organs and their surroundings in the same part of the body.  

Audience: Working Interpreters & Interpreting students.

 

Complexities in Educational Interpreting

Presenters: Leilani J. Johnson, Marty M. Taylor, Brenda Schick, Susan E. Brown, Laurie Bolster, Emily G. Girardin

Description: A bi-weekly Book Club discussion of select chapters, led by the authors themselves. Where have we been? Where are we now? What should happen next?

Audience: Interpreters, parents, administrators, teachers of the deaf in K12 and professionals involved with deaf and hard of hearing students.

Book Club Session Information

Click Here to Register for One or ALL Four Sessions
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Complexities in Educational Interpreting:

Evolution of the Profession

 

Date:  Thursday, September 25, 2025

Time:  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

CE: 3.5 IL CE, .35 PS RID CEUs 

Required chapter reading before session:

  • Chapter 1: Educational Interpreting as a Profession
  • Chapter 3: Federal Legislation and Actions Affecting K-12 Interpreting

Description: This session explores the evolving landscape of K-12 educational interpreting, offering participants a foundation in the roles, history, and legal frameworks that shape the profession today. Participants will analyze the multifaceted role of interpreter in educational settings, summarize key milestones in the development of educational interpreting as a profession, and identify and explain the major laws that impact practice in schools.

Complexities in Educational Interpreting:

Standards of the Profession

 

Date:  Thursday, October 9, 2025

Time:  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

CE: 4.25 IL CE, .425 PS RID CEUs

Required chapter reading before session:

  • Chapter 1: Educational Interpreting as a Profession
  • Chapter 6: Preservice Preparation: Academic and Professional Credentials for K-12 Interpreters
  • Chapter 7: Continuing Education for K-12 Interpreters
  • Chapter 8: Supervision and Accountability Systems for K-12 Interpreters

Description: This session builds on foundational knowledge of K–12 educational interpreting by examining the four systemic pillars that support high-quality interpreter services: academic credentials, professional credentials, continuing education, and supervision and accountability systems. Participants will evaluate how these structures influence service provision, student access, and team collaboration within educational settings.

Drawing from both national standards and lived professional experiences, the workshop encourages participants to explore their evolving roles on the educational team. Using the four foundations as a lens, participants will assess best practices for collaboration, identify areas for individual growth, and discuss how these foundational elements shape expectations for interpreter performance and accountability in schools.

Complexities in Educational Interpreting:

Credentials and Employment Expectations

 

Date:  Thursday, October 23, 2025

Time:  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

CE: 4 IL CE, 0.4 PS RID CEUs

Required chapter reading before session:

  • Chapter 1: Educational Interpreting as a Profession
  • Chapter 4: The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment System
  • Chapter 5: State Employment Standards for Educational Interpreters

Description: This session focuses on critical systems that shape the professional landscape for K–12 educational interpreters, including the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) and state employment standards. Participants will analyze EIPA data to identify trends and challenges within the interpreting field and evaluate how state policies impact hiring practices, retention, and service quality in schools.

Complexities of Educational Interpreting:

The Bigger Picture and a Call to Action

 

Date: Thursday, November 6, 2025

Time:  5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

CE: 3 IL CE, .30 PS RID CEUs

Required chapter reading before session:

  • Chapter 1: Educational Interpreting as a Profession
  • Chapter 2: The Current State of the Profession

Description: This workshop offers an interactive exploration of the evolving landscape of K–12 educational interpreting. Participants will analyze the multifaceted role of interpreters and key legal frameworks, while also evaluating resources from professional organizations like NAIE. The session is designed to deepen understanding of contemporary issues, including considerations for Deaf Plus students and the role of technology like VRI. Through a blend of pre-reading, live polling, and group breakouts, this workshop supports professional growth for all experience levels.

This event and complimentary books graciously  funded by a grant from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

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