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Hear the World Sound Academy: Amplifying the Grand Canyon

The world is speaking, what will you hear?

Check back soon for profiles of the Hear the World Sound Academy team members!

Full scholarships were provided by Jones Hearing Center, Bassett Medical Center, and Audiology Business Services.

Program Overview

The majesty of the Grand Canyon summons a profound connection with nature and a deep sense of purpose as few places can. But this world-famous natural wonder faces a serious threat: noise pollution. While rafting the incredible Colorado River and exploring side canyons by foot, we will learn about the interplay between human beings, wildlife, and this rugged land through the world of sound. Guided by an acoustical scientist, we will collect sound data in the Diamond Down section of Grand Canyon for use in Grand Canyon National Park’s backcountry management plan.

Sound deepens our experience of the world and the capacity to hear is a fundamental part of life, yet one in five teenagers experiences some degree of hearing loss. The Hear the World Sound Academy will foster awareness about hearing loss and sound preservation while equipping you with the tools needed to step up and make a difference in the world. Using hearing loss awareness as a case study, you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to launch a campaign for a cause you believe in.


Trip Leader Profile: Bill Barkeley

We are fortunate to have Bill Barkeley as one of the Global Explorers expedition leaders on this adventure. As one of 15,000 people in the U.S. with Usher’s Syndrome (Type 2) (the leading cause of deaf-blindness in the world), Bill’s 2007 summit of Mount Kilimanjaro shattered expectations (read article). With the assistance of Phonak hearing technology, Bill was successful in not only reaching the summit but also in sharing a story of inspiration, determination and aspiration, telling the world about assistive technologies available to those with hearing and vision problems (view Bill’s Phonak testimonial video).

Did you know about 800 million people worldwide are affected by hearing loss?
Hear the World is a global initiative by leading hearing instrument manufacturer Phonak to raise awareness about the importance of hearing and the consequences of hearing loss. Learn more about Hear the World here.

Sample Itinerary

Travel to Las Vegas, NV and meet your team before venturing to Hualapai Cultural Center in Peach Springs, AZ. We continue on to Diamond Creek, where an acoustical scientist introduces us to the equipment we’ll be using to collect sound data. Tonight we camp at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and learn about No Barriers Leadership under a brilliant canvas of stars.

Today we begin one of the greatest wilderness adventures on Earth: rafting the Colorado River! Referred to as “Diamond Down,” this unique section of the Colorado River is located at the west end of Grand Canyon National Park. We’ll spend 5 days covering 52 river miles of smooth and white water, and experience dramatic views and powerful sounds.

While on the river, the beauty, solitude and chorus of natural sounds provide the perfect environment for us to contemplate what it means to be a sound ambassador. We work as a team to form communication systems to help us paddle through whitewater and reflect on our personal leadership styles as we float through calm stretches. We stop and explore side canyons accessible only from the river and along the way collect sound data for Grand Canyon National Park. We measure noise-free intervals, observe overflight patterns, and listen to underwater sounds with a hydrophone. Each night, we camp along the Colorado River as the river music and cicadas lull us to sleep.

We continue our sound research project and leadership discussions as we explore the Grand Canyon. We review past and present sound research being conducted in the National Park Systems.

While hiking and rafting in the Canyon, we share ways that sound is meaningful to us in our day-to-day lives. We discuss ways to connect to other people in our communities about the importance of sound and hearing loss prevention.

We learn about ways that other organizations successfully raise awareness about important issues. While hiking and rafting the Canyon, we discuss how we could run an issue-based campaign related to educating the public about the importance of sound and hearing loss prevention. We will also discuss the podcast that we will be creating on behalf of the Park for use by future Park visitors, and we will begin to craft a plan for implementing this project.

Today we transition from wilderness to front-country as the river slows and merges with the calmer waters of Lake Mead. We observe changes in the environment and in ourselves as natural sounds diminish and human-caused sounds increase. At Pearce Ferry, we say goodbye to the river, stopping at Hoover Dam on our way back to Las Vegas, where we enjoy a hot shower at our hotel. We have our final workshop where we process our data, debrief with our leaders, and brainstorm how we want to share our message with the world.

All participants return to their respective communities.