St. Cloud State University’s Center for International Disability Advocacy and Diplomacy (CIDAD) was recently honored with the 2024 Zero Project Award.
The Zero Project, an initiative that aims to dismantle barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, recognized 77 innovative solutions from 43 countries in its 2024 awards.
CIDAD was honored for its project “Teaching Deaf Students from China in the United States to Create Leadership and Interconnectedness”. It stood out for its unique approach to fostering leadership and cultural exchange among Deaf students.
“We are profoundly honored to receive the 2024 Zero Project Award; this recognition is not just for our CIDAD team, but for every individual who has been part of this transformative journey,” said Dr. Amy Hebert Knopf , CIDAD’s director of education and research.
“It reaffirms our commitment to inclusivity and the empowerment of the Deaf community through education and leadership. This award fuels our passion to continue breaking down barriers and creating a world where everyone has access to the opportunities they deserve.”
CIDAD’s award-winning project began in 2016 with just one student, and it has evolved to involve 30 interns across 15 Deaf schools by 2024.
Mai Jiaxin, a former Deaf Chinese intern who benefitted from the program, said it helped in discovering a Deaf identity.
“It was a transformative experience; I met Deaf leaders who were teachers, engineers, and even heads of organizations,” Jiaxin said. “Many had PhDs! They had roles equal to hearing people, which increased my Deaf pride.”
Jiaxin has returned to China and continued to grow as a leader, recently beginning a job teaching sign language. CIDAD also now offers a graduate certificate in Deaf Leadership and Advocacy, another example of CIDAD’S dedication to removing educational barriers and fostering a global community of empowered, interconnected leaders.
Zero Project Conference 2024 will take place in February in Vienna, Austria, where the project will be showcased alongside other solutions that are paving the way for a more inclusive world.
