What We Do at WRIEC
The Western Region Interpreter Education Center is dedicated to the provision of quality education and professional development opportunities for interpreters at all skill levels that have demonstrated effectiveness. In conjunction with the National Interpreter Education Center and the other Regional Interpreter Education Centers, WRIEC serves as an educational resource center for interpreters, consumers, rehabilitation personnel, interpreter educators, and interpreter referral personnel.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration, WRIEC serves the Western United States, including Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. WRIEC is a proud member of the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (NCIEC). More information about NCIEC can be found at http://www.asl.neu.edu/nciec.
In the past, WRIEC was two separate and autonomous entities. Today, it is one Center that balances its work effort between the services to the region and contributions to the National Consortium.
With shrinking federal dollars that must be stretched further, the National Consortium is seeking innovative strategies to avoid duplication, streamline effective practices in interpreter education and promote interpreting as a profession. For example, www.DiscoverInterpreting.com is a GREAT website for folks interested in exploring the diverse and varied world of sign language interpreting! Check it out!
Betsy Winston, the director of the National Interpreter Education Center said recently about our work, "As a newly established organization, we are only beginning our journey toward increasing the number of qualified interpreters and advancing the field of interpreter education. At the end of 2 years of growth and diligent collaboration, we are beginning to see the impact of the exciting information and improved practices that we are identifying. As we continue our work to increase the number of qualified interpreters and to advance the field of interpreter education, we look forward to ever-growing partnerships with all those we strive to serve. We invite you to visit our website for further information, for details about our work, our achievements, and our on-going goals and commitments, and for resources in interpreting and interpreting education. We encourage you to participate in our many activities and projects.”
As a member of the NCIEC, WRIEC collaborates on a number of work teams that support enhanced interpreter education, professional development opportunities, and strengthening interpreter networks. Current NCIEC initiatives include identifying and implementing current, best and effective practices around the subjects of:
The work of the NCIEC is exciting and ever evolving. We strongly encourage you to visit the NCIEC website on a regular basis to learn more about these and future initiatives.
After two years of extensive study of current and best practice in our field, WRIEC is preparing once again to provide a level of services to the region. Unlike previous years, all services will undergo the positive scrutiny of a well defined evaluation to determine its effectiveness.