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Applied Development Ethical & Professional Training (ADEPT)

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Welcome to new adventures in professional growth and ethical excellence. Welcome to ADEPT: Applied Development Ethical and Professional Training!

As ASL/ English interpreters, we may find ourselves in new and different environments on a regular basis. Sometimes we have much more consistent engagements with the same clients/teams. Our best resource to successfully prepare for the variety of scenarios we face is each other. By being curious and open-minded, and through sharing our stories and engaging with others respectfully in safe spaces, we can learn together more than each of us could ever learn alone.

What Makes ADEPT Stand Out

  • Holistic Skill Enhancement

    We believe that true success comes from a well-rounded skill set. Our program combines technical proficiency with ethical awareness, soft skills, and professional acumen. We empower participants to excel not only in their core competencies, but also in their interpersonal interactions, ethical decision-making, and overall professional conduct.

  • Ethical Framework

    We believe that ethical decision-making is not a separate skill, but an integral part of one's professional identity. Our program equips participants with the tools and knowledge to assess and navigate complex situations with integrity and confidence, and an understanding of the implications of our presence and role in any interaction.

  • Immersive Experiential Learning

    We embrace experiential learning, allowing participants to engage with real-world scenarios, case studies, and simulations. This hands-on approach empowers individuals to apply their newfound skills immediately, fostering a deeper understanding and longer-lasting retention.

  • Collaborative Learning Community

    Participants engage in peer-to-peer interactions, group discussions, and collaborative activities that enhance their learning journey. Our ADEPT community of like-minded learning-nerds fosters a culture of continuous growth and improvement and provides a support network that extends beyond any one activity’s duration.

We operate based on AD’s core values:

  • Delight the Customer: Through our Professional Development Interest Survey, we collect feedback from our regular community of practitioners to find out what they (and you!) are interested in learning more about so we can tailor our offerings to our valued audience. We are happy to engage in dialogue to support new presenters in developing their own content and to facilitate the completion and submission of necessary paperwork required for Independent Study and Participant Initiated Non-RID Activities (PINRA) credits. We recognize and respect the interests of all individuals and wish we could host a workshop on every idea we receive, but we choose to primarily develop and host workshops that are of interest to the largest numbers of people or that benefit the greater good based on current community happenings. 
  • Serve Enthusiastically: We do this because we dig it. It’s really quite simple. We consider it a privilege to be welcomed and trusted by the Deaf Community and to have the tools and opportunity to facilitate the sharing of information and resources amongst diverse and engaged colleagues.
  • Relationships Matter: We believe in interconnectivity, “cross-pollination” of ideas, and zero competition in our collective Certification Maintenance space, and strive to maintain connections with a support network of service professionals across the country to better the field and the Community at large. We want to bring together people of all backgrounds and various interests to celebrate the things that make us the same and the things that make us unique.  
  • Yearn to Learn: It’s not just a core value, but a way of approaching each new opportunity and challenge. It’s a conscious commitment by our employees and the executive team to be curious about and open-minded to new and different ways of being and doing. Our team members keep their ears and eyes on the things relevant and important to our intersectional communities.
  • Accountable: We are interpreters solely because there exists a Deaf community. Our ADEPT team donates at least half of each workshop’s profits to a community-based non-profit organization of the presenter’s choice. In 2023, ADEPT donated more than $2,000 to organizations including Baltimore City Association of the Deaf (BCAD), DAWN, HEARD, Maryland Association of the Deaf (MDAD), National Alliance of Black Interpreters, District of Columbia Chapter (NAOBI-DC), and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).

Upcoming Workshops

More Details Coming Soon!

Summer 2024: A thought-provoking exploration of oppression and -isms in the Deaf/Interpreter Community

Fall 2024: Designated Interpreter Panel

Contact us to be added to ADEPT’s mailing list or to discuss developing or presenting a workshop with us!

Join our ADEPT community of like-minded professionals on our adventures of growth, ethical exploration, and practical excellence, where learning is dynamic, respectful connections are paramount, and the possibilities are limitless.