Ohio Valley Voices

Who We Are: Ohio Valley Voices (OVV), founded in 1999, is an early intervention center and school that teaches children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing (D/HH) to listen and talk through the use of hearing aids and cochlear implants. We serve children and their families from infancy to age eight. After graduating from our program, the vast majority of OVV students will go on to attend their local school alongside their hearing peers. Our curriculum is designed to provide a comfortable, loving environment that fosters confidence and a lifelong love of learning through talking.

What We Do: Simply put, OVV helps deaf children speak. First, our Family Center gives families an early start on teaching their child how to listen and talk through individualized therapy, parent education, and support. Next, the Academic Program focuses on giving preschool and early elementary children an education designed to accelerate the learning of spoken language, literacy, and academic subjects, the goal of which is to prepare each child to enter a mainstream school alongside their hearing peers. Finally, OVV provides audiological services to our students, alumni, and D/HH children throughout the region at our on-site clinic so that each child can make optimal use of his or her listening device.

Why We’re Important: Ohio Valley Voices is one of the few programs in North America dedicated to a listening and spoken language curriculum for children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. Indeed, families have moved from across the country and around the world to take advantage of our services. Our guiding principle is that every child deserves access to sound and communication as a right. By providing our students with a language-enriched environment and the tools to talk, OVV helps them reach their fullest potential and embark on a bright future. How We Serve the Community: Since 1999, Ohio Valley Voices has helped children in the tri-state area learn how to listen and talk, forever changing their lives, the lives of their families, and our region as a whole. To us, every child and every spoken word is a gift.

How You Can Help: While hearing devices like cochlear implants are typically covered by health insurance, OVV’s highly specialized services are not. We depend on the support and partnership of community members like you to ensure that our services remain accessible to all children. Over a third of our budget comes from financial contributions from individuals and foundations. We also rely on the generosity of our volunteers to keep our school programs running. Visit our website to donate to our annual fund and learn about our many volunteer opportunities.

Ohio Valley Voices 6642 Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140 (513) 791-1458 www.ohiovalleyvoices.org Facebook: ohiovalleyvoices

Executive Director: Maria Sentelik Email: maria.sentelik@ohiovalleyvoices.org

Marketing and Development Director: Casondra Cooper Email: ccooper@ohiovalleyvoices.org

Board Members: Nancy Creaghead, President, Jon Westerman, Vice President, Michael Wolf, Treasurer, Sandra M. Mills, Secretary, Thomas Fischer, Jody Johnson, Robert Keith, V. Ruth Klette, Kathy Lutz, Tasha Porter, Caloway Puckett, Coleen J. Swanson, Jack Wild