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Resources

The IRIS (Improving Rural Interpreter Skills) Project, a five-year, $2.1M grant (2021-2026) awarded to the University of Northern Colorado, sought to address the shortage of interpreters in rural areas by enhancing both the quantity and quality of professionals in the field. The project provided specialized training to interpreters working in rural communities, focusing on advanced skills, teamwork, and adapting language to diverse users.

The curriculum for IRIS’s four programs (RIPPLE, CORE, Induction, and APP) was delivered online via a hybrid asynchronous and synchronous model utilizing an online Learning Management System, which incorporated an interactive video-based feedback platform and regular over-video sessions. Each program includes a course map outlining the sequence of modules, objectives, assignments, and external resources. All modules provide content in English and ASL, with slide decks accompanied by ASL translations.

The IRIS curriculum was built on two key frameworks: the Integrated Model of Interpreting (IMI), which focuses on cognitive processes and decision-making, and a deaf-centric approach emphasizing collaboration with Deaf individuals to ensure meaningful, contextually accurate interpretations. The curriculum is further supported by a social constructivist framework, which fosters learner engagement through interaction and collaboration. Participants engage with each other in ASL via asynchronous discussion boards and structured, synchronous course meetings, allowing them to bring their real-life experiences into the learning process. This community-based approach encourages rich discourse and deep learning, essential for the professional growth of rural interpreters.

Those wishing to access IRIS's curricular resources are encouraged to adopt a similar community of learning framework to fully benefit from the project’s interactive and collaborative design.

These resources are being made available to you as they were presented during the 2021-2026 grant cycle. Permission is granted to copy and disseminate this product for noncommercial educational purposes, provided Â鶹´«Ã½-IRIS is credited as the source and referenced appropriately on any such copies.. Suggested citation: Â鶹´«Ã½-IRIS. (2026). Name of Resource. URL (if applicable).

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As the IRIS Project administered the five-year interpreter training grant, it compiled various resources related to increasing the quantity and quality of interpreters working and living in rural settings.