American Girl and Hearing Loss Association of America Team Up to Raise Awareness of Hearing Loss

American Girl and Hearing Loss Association of America announced they are teaming up in honor of new Girl of the Year Joss Kendrick, a fierce athlete with hearing loss, on December 31. American Girl has donated $25,000 to support HLAA’s educational programs, is supporting HLAA’s Walk4Hearing with a donation of Joss dolls, and will be collecting donations for HLAA on the American Girl site and in stores through the end of 2020.

“What could be more exciting than to have an American Girl character be a role model for girls with hearing loss?” said HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley. “HLAA is proud to partner with American Girl to help girls know that, like Joss, they can be and do anything—an empowering message for girls with or without hearing loss. I hope girls who read Joss’s inspiring story will help create awareness about hearing loss among their friends and family.”

Joss, the 2020 Girl of the Year, has a passion for surfing and competitive cheer and wears a hearing aid. She is part of American Girl’s lineup of inspirational Girls of the Year and in particular aims to teach kids the importance of “trying new things, pushing past stereotypes, and being a team player.”