Douglas College is the first post-secondary school in Canada to win a North America-wide sign language interpreter program award.

The Douglas program won the 2010 Video Relay Service Interpreter Education Program Award of Excellence from Sorenson Communications. The award includes $10,000 cash plus $5,500 in credits to buy resource materials for the program.

The annual award recognizes an interpreter education program that is making a meaningful contribution by expanding curriculum and expanding to the increased demand for interpreters.

“Our program has been fortunate over the last 20 years because we have been the beneficiary of extensive support and encouragement from the local deaf and interpreting communities,” program co-ordinator Cheryl Palmer said in a press release. “As well, our curriculum is widely-acknowledged as state-of-the-art in our field and our faculty takes pride in their ability to work together to focus on the progress of each student individually as they develop their skills.”