Communication Sciences and Disorders

UMaine Chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association
	What is UMaine NSSLHA? UMaine NSSLHA is a chapter of a national association for students interested in the study of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). We represent an on-campus student group that engages in various activities associated with speech, language and hearing. Our chapter includes both undergraduates and graduate students.
	2006-2007 Academic Year NSSLHA is a student group for Communication Sciences and Disorders majors at the University of Maine. It is open to anyone, including undergrads and grad students alike! Our mission is to support each other in our coursework by serving as a support system for students, volunteer within our community with speech and language in mind, and also to aide the CSD department in their endeavors. We fundraise for various causes and seek volunteer opportunities whenever we can. As a group, we also like to have "socials" and get together in a casual setting to talk, hang out, and get to know everyone in our major! So far this year, we have taken part in several activities and have many more planned! Student Organization Fair: In September, NSSLHA had a table with information on our group and also brochures on Speech-Language Pathology as a profession. The fair was aimed primarily at first-year students, and we wanted to get our organization out there for them to see! CSD Discussion Panel: In October, NSSLHA organized a discussion/information panel that involved CSD students asking questions to a group of respondents that included CSD faculty, grad students and several SLP's from the area. Students were able to ask anything about their careers or education, and also anything about grad school, the application process and what the work load may entail. Everyone found this event very worthwhile! MSLHA Conference: Bi-annually, the Maine Speech-Language-Hearing Association holds state-wide conferences for Speech-Language Pathologists in Maine. MSLHA asks NSSLHA members to volunteer as liasons for the speakers. It's an excellent opportunity to hear experts in the field present their research, and also to experience what a professional conference is like. Eight members of NSSLHA will be attending the MSLHA conference. Smile Train Project: As part of our mission of community service in the field of speech and hearing, NSSLHA has decided to fundraise for the Smile Train Project this semester. The Smile Train is an organization that performs cleft surgery for children from families who cannot afford this costly procedure. It costs $250 to sponsor one child's surgery, as the doctors, nurses, and SLP's donate most of their time. We find this to be an excellent cause, and we are hoping to start a raffle that will continue into next semester in order to raise money. We may also be joining forces with Delta Zeta, a sorority on campus whose philanthrophy focus is speech and hearing. We are hoping to sponsor at least one, if not two children's surgeries! More is to come on this project! Check out the Smile Train at http://www.smiletrain.org/. Adopt-a-Family at Conley Speech, Language and Hearing Center: During past holidays, NSSLHA has adopted a family that receives services from Conley Speech and Hearing Center and purchased gifts for each member of the family. We ask for a "wishlist" from the family and try to get as much as we can! We will be doing this project once again this year. Aside from these specific activities, NSSLHA also helps with guest lecturers and workshops that the CSD department organizes. Our meetings are held every other Monday at 2:15 PM in the basement of Dunn Hall. We also have a folder on First Class where we post our meeting minutes and discuss things in between meetings. Get involved and join us at our meetings! We'd love to have you!

How does someone join? To become a member, all you have to do is show up at meetings and get involved. If you have questions, please e-mail the president or vice president listed below (using FirstClass). CSD students also can join NSSLHA at the national level, although national membership is not required in order to belong at the local level. Nevertheless, national membership (which costs $45 annually) has many benefits including receiving a journal of your choice and postal and e-mail newsletters. For more information on the benefits of national membership check out NSSLHA's benefits page.
	Officers for 2006-2007 President: Johanna Costello Vice President: Kylie Davis Secretary: Sarah Marshall Treasurer - Heidi Choate Historian - Amanda Collette
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UMaine Chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association