The majority of deaf and hard of hearing children around the world are born to hearing parents, most of whom are not familiar with deafness or sign language. This can lead to language deprivation or delay and a lack of social interaction for these children. Below, article co-author Jacqueline Wunderlich shares her own story of growing up deaf, its impact, and how it influenced her work with the Family Center on Deafness (FCD) in Largo, Florida. The authors also share how FCD is collaborating with the local school district and other programs in order to empower the community's deaf and hard of hearing students and help provide them with language-rich environments in which to learn and grow.