Current Projects
In addition to our Teacher Training and Protect-A-Band Programs,
our Foundation also encourages participation in many other kinds of projects,
each of which is designed to increase awareness of the dangers of loud sound
and to promote safe hearing practice by young people.
Restaurant NoisE Project
We encourage everyone who dines out at restaurants to help us increase awareness about NIHL (Noise Induced Hearing Loss) and the danger of loud sound. Download SoundPrint, a free sound level meter app, to your smartphone, then use it to measure and submit the decibel level of surrounding sound at the restaurants you frequent. If the sound is too loud, ask the manager to lower the music volume to keep the sound at a safe and comfortable level. Then, share that information with us!
Poster Contest
Students are invited to submit a poster to our annual Design-a-Poster Contest. We are looking for posters which educate others about the danger of loud sound and which illustrate ways to protect hearing and prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). We routinely include poster submissions on our website and awards prizes for the top entries.
Public Service Announcement Contest
If you are an independent student filmmaker or a student taking a class in a school that has a film department, we invite you to produce your own 30-second PSA about hearing loss in young people.
Your PSA will automatically be entered into our annual PSA competition and may be featured on our website. Each year, Ear Peace: Save Your Hearing Foundation awards prizes to the winning student (and their teacher) for the best production.
Smartphone App Project for Sound Level Measurement
We encourage anyone with a smartphone to add an App that measures the decibel levels wherever you are: at malls, movies, concerts, bars, restaurants, parties, Nascar races, athletic events, etc. Using this type of App enables you to know when the environmental noise level is dangerous so that you can take steps to protect your hearing.
With help from our colleagues at the University of Miami Ear Institute's Department of Otolaryngology, we tested some of the smartphone Apps currently available to make sure that the Apps provided accurate measurement of decibel levels. For iPhone users, we are currently recommending an App called SPL Meter by Andrew Smith. (Please be aware that sound levels may vary based on the App used and the sensitivity of the mobile device microphone.)
R.S.V.P. Project
The goals of the R.S.V.P. Project are to (1) spread the word about how to protect hearing at parties where loud music is played and (2) convince bands and DJs to lower their music to sound levels which ensure both fun and safety.
Ear Peace Foundation encourages everyone who receives an invitation to a celebration where there will be music (weddings, B'nai Mitzvahs, Quinces, etc.) to help spread the word about NIHL. Print out our downloadable notice and return it to the hosts along with your R.S.V.P. The notice lets party hosts know about the permanent harm that occurs with exposure to excessively loud music and asks them to request that their bandleader or DJ keep the decibel level to one that is both fun and safe.
Jolene Project
We underwrite materials for students to build a 'Jolene', a mannequin equipped with a device to measure the sound levels of personal stereo systems. Jolenes display the decibel levels that mP3 players are blasting into listeners' ears. When a Jolene is brought to a schools, health fairs or other public events, it attracts a crowd and dramatically increases awareness of the problem of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Click here for instructions to learn more about how to create a Jolene.
Concert and Music Festival Hearing Protection Project
Ear Peace Foundation enlists teenagers and young adults who attend concerts and outdoor music festivals to monitor decibel levels, pass out information about NIHL and encourage concert-goers to wear hearing protection.
Students may earn community service hours for participation in some projects. Contact us for details.