The University of Iowa will host its first American Sign Language, or ASL, silent retreat April 17 through 19, reaching full capacity with 103 participants, from the UI and other states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois.
The retreat will take place at YMCA Camp Wapsie and will feature a variety of activities, including campfire stories, scavenger hunts, skits, and trivia, as well as a performance from deaf performer Dack Virnig.
Becca Clark, associate professor of instruction for ASL, said that, unlike structured classrooms where students typically watch signing in a fixed, front-facing setting, immersive experiences like retreats allow them to practice signing in real-life situations. These include walking, eating, or interacting in more dynamic environments.
ASL at the UI has seen consistent popularity for years, Clark said, as the waitlisted program is the largest in the state with 99 students enrolled in the spring 2026 program, according to UI enrollment data.
“People are drawn to a visual language,” Clark said. “There are not currently any high schools in the state of Iowa that offer American Sign Language, so it’s something that they don’t have an opportunity to learn before coming to Iowa.”
That continued interest in ASL helped spark the idea for a more immersive learning experience outside the classroom.
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The planning process began a year ago, when former UI ASL assistant professor of instruction Joel Mankowski introduced the idea for a silent retreat after planning a ASL retreat in Wisconsin.
Clark then brought in members of the ASL club, including fourth-year UI student Keira Figueroa, social media manager for the ASL club, to be a part of the planning committee.
“I just hope that people feel more confident using the language,” Figueroa said. “I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how much my skills improved at the end of the weekend and overall just getting to connect with other students taking American Sign Language and getting to appreciate Deaf culture more.”
UI students paid $125 to attend the retreat, with non-UI participants paying $150. Clark said ideally, the retreat would support itself. To launch the event, they utilized funds from the Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures and the American Sign Language Program Fund.
Figueroa said one of the unique things about the UI ASL learning experience is the professors being deaf themselves.
“I feel like that’s truly the best way to learn is from someone who is deaf, and it’s their language,” Figueroa said.
Clark said a key goal of the event is to bring in deaf mentors from outside the classroom, giving students the chance to learn from a wider range of fluent signers and build connections beyond their usual instructors.
“Native fluent signers being role models for them is highly important,” Clark said. “They can act as language models, as people that you could ask questions to, you know, we just want this to be a really safe learning environment.”
Students minoring in ASL have silent opportunities at the UI, with classes taught in a voice-off environment, as well as offering weekly conversation hours. However, Clark said the retreat will offer students opportunities to talk about a greater variety of topics.
“What we have found is, students really enjoy learning in the classroom, but sometimes they don’t always get to talk about the things they want to talk about,” Clark said. “So they want to talk about what they’re currently watching on TV or what restaurant that they went to.”
Beyond just conversation, participants will also learn Deaf culture, Clark said.
“Using Deaf culture norms to get people’s attention. So tapping someone’s shoulder instead of saying their name verbally,” Clark said.
Clark said the UI may look to attend an ASL retreat in Wisconsin next year, rather than hosting its own. If that model works, she said it could expand to include other states, allowing programs to rotate hosting before potentially bringing the event back in a future year.
“We can kind of support each other. Maybe we would host it again in two years, or if we can get another state to be willing to host it. It is a lot of work to host it,” Clark said. It’s not as hard when you have people that have experienced it and can kind of help with the planning process.”