"They are the three smallest bones in the human body but also the most important," said Yaduraj Choudhary, when describing how the name of the nonprofit organization 3 Tiny Bones was chosen to represent the three bones found in the middle ear. Yaduraj, a 12th-grader at the Downingtown STEM Academy, was born with hearing loss and currently wears a hearing aid. He is the founder and president of 3 Tiny Bones, a student-led group. "Our goal is to educate communities on hearing loss to destigmatize it and create a more inclusive society," he stated.

Since its founding two and a half years ago, the group has instituted several programs. "We have been working with the Downingtown STEM Academy on educating students about hearing loss and healthy hearing habits," said Yaduraj. "We have also educated the student body through posters in the hallway, as well as videos created by our team that were broadcasted to the entire school."

The school has also initiated the first Safe Hearing Zone. "We did a test run at STEM this past school year. We launched a Safe Hearing Zone at the prom and homecoming dances to make sure the music volume was safe so that the hearing health of all students and faculty in attendance was protected," Yaduraj explained.

Yaduraj also hopes that people will take the "HEAR Pledge" which stands for Hear safely, wear Earplugs, stay Away from loud noise and Recognize harmful sounds. "This is one of our main initiatives right now, and our goal is 10,000 pledges by 2023," he said. To take the pledge or for more information, visit http://www.3tinybones.org/pledge.

Yaduraj and other student members of the organization also take part in the Walk4Hearing in Philadelphia presented by the Hearing Loss Association of America, where they distribute hundreds of pairs of earplugs to promote hearing safety.

All the efforts, said Yaduraj, stem from his first-hand experience of hearing loss. "I went through a lot of challenges in my hearing loss journey. I had to undergo four surgeries when I was in elementary school. That led to many missed months of school," he shared. "I was able to push through it and persevere and study hard."

He said that youths who wear hearing aids may face teasing from other students. "When I started wearing a hearing aid, especially in middle school I faced a lot of bullying and teasing," stated Yaduraj. "If you walk in wearing glasses, no one asks if you are blind. But if you wear a hearing aid, (people ask), 'Are you deaf?' or 'What's on your ear?' There is stigma for people with hearing loss (due to) a lack of education."

He also hopes to educate young people about taking proper care of their hearing. For example, he noted, many youths wear earbuds or headphones that are turned up too loudly. "These are kids with perfect hearing who are doing permanent damage because we have noise hazards - earbuds, headphones, lawn mowers, vehicles and parties (with loud music)," Yaduraj stated. "It is important for them to protect their hearing health."

To learn more about 3 Tiny Bones, visit http://www.3tinybones.org or http://www.facebook.com/3tinybones or search for 3 Tiny Bones on Instagram and Twitter.