Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD) is a fully accredited school for the

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

and hard of hearing, located in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

. It won the best deaf school in America in 2011 and 2014.

History

Indiana Institution for the Education of the Deaf, 1903

When the first school for the Deaf was established in Indiana, it was named Willard School, after the founder, William Willard. William Willard was a deaf

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

who taught at

Ohio School for the Deaf Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The s ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

. He traveled to Indianapolis in May 1843 to propose the establishment of a Deaf School. Once he had the support of the General Assembly, he recruited approximately twelve students. He and his wife, Eliza, were teachers. Eventually, the school had grown and a law which was passed in January 1846, officially established the Willard School as the sixth state school for the Deaf and the first Deaf school to provide free education to Deaf and hard of hearing students. The school had actually moved a few times in different locations, when finally, the school was built on an property on East 42nd Street. The name was changed to Indiana School for the Deaf. The school's main buildings on the current campus were added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1991. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs

New campus

In spring 2022, the state of Indiana announced that the Indiana School for the Deaf will move to the campus of the

Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or ISBVI, established in 1847 as the Indiana School for the Blind and also known as the Indiana Institution for the Education of the Blind, is a residential school for Indiana youth that are ...

. About $225 million will be spent on new and renovated facilities for the two schools. They will remain separate institutions, but will be able to share some resources.

Academics

ISD offers several programs ranging from infants to high school. They are as follows: Parent Infant Program,

Preschool A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary sch ...

Elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, a ...

Middle School A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...

, and

High School A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. The Parent Infant Program works closely with parents and their deaf or hard of hearing children from ages 0 to 3. When a student reaches 18 months of age, he or she can enroll at ISD as an official student. Preschool handles children up until Pre-

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

. Elementary provides academics and activities for Kindergarten through 4th grade students. Middle school hosts grades 5 to 8, and High School hosts grades 9 through 12.

Residency

ISD is also a residential school for ages 3 to 21. It has dormitories where students reside throughout the week. Students arrive on Sundays and depart on Fridays. Dormitories are for students who live far enough not to be able to travel by bus every day to school. There are dormitories for male and female students: Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, and High School. ISD's residential programs offer extracurricular activities, peer interaction, student growth and development, achievement, and more.

Athletics

ISD offers several athletics starting from 5th grade to 12th grade. There are sports for both female and male students. *Male Sports **Football **Cross Country **Wrestling **Basketball **Baseball **Track and Field **Swimming *Female Sports **Volleyball **Basketball **Cheerleading **Track and Field **Swimming **Softball

References

External links

*
Indiana School for the Deaf Athletics
{{Authority control Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Neoclassical architecture in Indiana Schools for the deaf in the United States Educational institutions established in 1843 Public schools in Indiana 1843 establishments in Indiana Schools in Indianapolis Public elementary schools in Indiana Public middle schools in Indiana Public high schools in Indiana Public K-12 schools in the United States Public boarding schools in the United States Boarding schools in Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis