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Error processing SSI file			Valuable Experiences for Mentors and Members at Ayala-Intel Computer Clubhouse in the Philippines When Aila Tibayan and Nina Mariano volunteered to be mentors at the Ayala-Intel Computer Clubhouse in Makati City, Philippines, one thing made them special: both are profoundly deaf. The two young women will receive their bachelor's degrees this summer from De La Salle University College in Applied Deaf Studies with a specialty in multimedia arts. They are completing two-month internships at the Clubhouse to gain on-the-job experience working with hearing people. "When Aila Tibayan and Nina Mariano volunteered to be mentors at the Ayala-Intel Computer Clubhouse in Makati City, Philippines, one thing made them special: both are profoundly deaf." Makati City is a densely populated international business hub that is part of metropolitan Manila. On the second floor of a parish building belonging to the Mater Dolorosa Church, the Ayala-Intel Computer Clubhouse hums with activities from Tuesday through Saturday. For its 250 registered members, ages 10-17, the Clubhouse is a popular after-school stop in this relatively poor community of 42,000, where so few have computers at home that members must schedule their time on the Clubhouse workstations. "At first, we were concerned about how we would communicate with Aila and Nina," says Maui Salang, coordinator of the Clubhouse, who arranged for their internship. "In the beginning, they used written notes and hand gestures, and the students were very creative in using body language to express what they needed to say. But before long, Aila and Nina were teaching Clubhouse members the manual alphabet and basic sign language. From then on, it was easier to communicate." Like most people of the Philippines, Tibayan and Mariano are bilingual, communicating in Tagalog, the national tongue, and in English, the official and dominant language. As deaf students, they were taught "total communication," a method that encourages the use of all expressive avenues in social interaction. Depending on the situation, the young women might use sign language, sounds, lip reading, and written notes. Mariano, 23, was born deaf. She can hear loud sounds but not words, and she says that Clubhouse members often get her attention by clapping their hands or shouting. "SSSSHHHHHH is a sound I can hear," she says, "and so that has become my nickname with the students." After graduation, Mariano hopes to teach multimedia arts in middle school. Tibayan, also 23, became deaf as an infant. She learned sign language at the Philippine School for the Deaf, and she communicates in both English and Tagalog. Having completed her studies, she hopes to get a job designing graphics for a commercial studio. Recently the two mentors, along with Salang and an interpreter, taught Clubhouse members a three-day workshop in Macromedia Director*, a software program that integrates interactive audio and video, and is excellent for creating accessible content for people with disabilities, such as captions for the hearing impaired and self-voicing for the blind. "Aila and Nina have generously shared their talents in the multimedia arts with us," says Salang, "and they are very patient in helping our members with their projects. We are so happy to have them here at the Clubhouse!" To learn more about Intel Computer Clubhouse Network locations around the world, visit the Intel Computer Clubhouse Web page.
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