Arcadia Spain

In the past week, Jack Dove, a University of Alabama Tuscaloosa student on the Arcadia in Barcelona program had the opportunity to participate in a local TV program and show his weekly session with a local hearing impaired child and his parents.

After seeing the video of Jack and the family, we thought it was important to highlight how Jack felt during this great experience and this is what he told us:

Working with Ignacio has been a great pleasure so far. I was not sure what to expect going into this volunteering experience, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Helping Ignacio has been both fun and personally fulfilling. Week after week I become more comfortable with Ignacio and his family, I look forward to the time I get to spend with them every Tuesday."

Since 2006, T-Oigo motivates families of children with deafness to overcome obstacles and not put limits on their children for their hearing loss. Thanks to cochlear implants and digital hearing aids, the early detection of deafness, and the professionals who support us, today, the child born with a hearing disability can have a normal life. 

Children with disabilities can learn English as a second or third language, something very important for their future. The free T-Oigo program, “Allies in English ", it’s based on the motivation and the opportunity to use the second language in a playful and familiar context. The American students who come to Arcadia University in Barcelona are happy to participate as volunteers in the support program, visiting families weekly and playing in English with the children in their homes. Activities such as singing, dancing, cooking, playing Monopoly, football, and the computer, provide them with the opportunity to have contact with a native person in a quiet environment like their home, where acoustics are ideal and make a cultural exchange for the whole family. "All thanks to a volunteer who makes them see English as something more than a subject at school”

The generosity from the volunteers, giving part of their time and the gratitude and welcome of the families are the key to the success of this experience!