Welcome to the American Sign Language Honor Society (ASLHS), your gateway to a world of opportunities and achievements in ASL! Whether you’re a passionate ASL teacher, a middle schooler just starting your ASL journey, or a seasoned university student seeking to refine your skills, ASLHS has something for you.

Teachers, we offer a vibrant community of ASL enthusiasts where you can connect, learn and grow. Participate in exciting competitions, showcase your students’ talents, and earn your chapter and school recognition. 

Students, tell your ASL teacher about our exciting annual competitions. Tell them our competition will empower you to excel in ASL and unlock your full potential. Encourage them to start a new Chapter at your school so you can participate in our competitions. 

ASLHS is more than just a society; it is a movement to promote ASL inclusivity and break down communication barriers. By joining our competitions, you become a champion for ASL, advocating for its recognition and appreciation worldwide. 

Embark on your ASL adventure today! Explore our competition below to discover ways ASLHS can empower your journey. 

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Deaf art and culture by participating in the annual National Deaf Art Competition, proudly sponsored by the American Sign Language Honor Society (ASLHS). This esteemed competition, dedicated in honor of the renowned Deaf artist
Chuck Baird (d.2012), offers aspiring artists the opportunity to showcase their creativity and
talent. The mission of the competition is to foster an appreciation for the diverse visual
expressions within deaf culture and ASL language. Participants are encouraged to create
artwork that captures the essence of Deaf culture, history, and the vibrant Deaf community.
Regardless of their level of ASL instruction, students from all backgrounds are warmly invited to
take part.

This year’s theme is Capturing Visual Vernacular, where students will be challenged to use
photography to capture the expressive, cinematic, and deeply visual nature of Visual
Vernacular (VV), a storytelling style rooted in American Sign Language. Whether it’s a single
photo or a series, your work should embody the movement, emotion, and visual nature of ASL.
We will accept work related to classifiers, gestures, non-manual signals, iconicity, and cinematic
techniques. Submissions will be due no later than Friday, November 21st, 2025. The winners will be announced in December 2025.

A respected member of the Deaf community who works in the field of photography will serve as
our esteemed judge. If you or anyone you know is qualified for this role, please contact us.

Sydney Monka
Plainview Old Bethpage JFK High School, NY

Immerse yourself in the captivating realm of storytelling and the captivating artistry of American Sign Language (ASL) literature through your participation in the prestigious annual national ASL literature competition, proudly sponsored by the American Sign Language Honor Society (ASLHS). This esteemed competition pays homage to the visionary ASL storyteller Eric ‘Malz’ Malzkuhn (d.2008), who played a pivotal role as one of the early pioneers of ASL storytelling. It serves as a platform to celebrate the meaningful integration of classroom learning with the wider community, allowing participants to showcase their creativity and linguistic skills.

Participating in the Deaf Art and/or ASL Literature competitions holds significant value beyond the prizes awarded. The experience positively impacts applications for the ASL scholarship, allowing students to showcase their dedication and passion.

This year’s captivating category is ASL Poetry, offering an exciting avenue for artistic expression. Don’t miss out! The submission deadline is March 28, 2025. As mentioned previously, we are in the process of selecting our competition judges this year and will announce them soon.

We regret to announce that we are canceling our ASL Literature competition for this year. For more details, please refer to our previous email, which includes our director’s video announcement regarding this difficult decision.