Narrow the Achievement Gap
Languages, and in particular dual language programs, increase achievement on standardized tests and are shown to narrow the achievement gap not only for English learners but for all students.
Given the District’s widening achievement gap and the fact that only 20% of District English learners are in dual language programs, it is high time to use dual language education to address the achievement gap.
FACTS
Students in dual language programs:
- achieve significantly higher test scores regardless of race, socioeconomic status, special needs and language spoken at home
- have up to 14 points lower rates of classification as English Language Learners (ELLs) by sixth grade and retain their advantage better and longer than with any other intervention (see graph)
- have cognitive advantages, better executive functioning and a number of other skills that help them become better learners
- become bilingual and biliterate!
Braitmayer Foundation Awards DC Immersion $35,000 Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Washington, D.C., April 16th, 2020 The DC Language Immersion Project (DC Immersion) is pleased to announce it was awarded a $35,000 grant from The Braitmayer Foundation. With this grant, DC Immersion looks forward to supporting...
Distance Learning: Language Teaching and Learning
We hope to grow this list of free online resources for virtual language teaching and learning. Please send your suggestions to johanna@dcimmersion.org. If you find this helpful, please support our work. Looking for virtual events? Check out our global calendar. We...
Omar Offendum: Peace Activism Through Languages
Known for his unique blend of Hip-Hop & Arabic poetry, Syrian American artist Omar Offendum shared his perspective on the power of languages in peace activism and uniting people all over the globe during the 2020 Multilingual Education Fair of DC. Generously...
Power of Multilingualism In the Workforce
Distinguished experts from the healthcare, hospitality, intelligence community, and higher ed industries discuss the impact on their industry sector of hiring and working with multilingual employees. The session includes a presentation of the findings from the report...
The 2020 Multilingual Education Fair of DC
The 4th edition of the Multilingual Education Fair, held on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 welcomed a community of families, educators, young adults, college students, employers, and other community members from 5 countries, 14 states, and all 8 wards of the District of...
Amid growing demand, DC Immersion Project works to boost dual language programs
By Taylor Mulcahey, The DC Line. Published February 3rd, 2020. Read more here. Seeing a need to inform DC families, educators and lawmakers of the benefits and options for language learning, Bertelli went on to launch the DC Language Immersion Project in...
More US schools teach in English and Spanish, but not enough to help Latino kids
By Erin Richards and Kristin Lam, USA Today Jan 7, 2020 Read more here, "In some districts, the popularity of dual-language programs has led to concerns that English learners, who often come from lower-income families, will be pushed out by native English speakers...
Language Summer Camps 2020
We compiled this list of language summer camps for young linguists: F is for French, M for Mandarin, S for Spanish, I for Italian, G for German, A is for Arabic and J is for Japanese. Each camp features a significant element of foreign language and/or culture, and is...
DC Immersion Turns 5!
"Since 2014, we have been hard at work to allow all DC children to communicate with more friends, to make the world a smaller place, while increasing equitable access to opportunity. Thank you to all of our partners, volunteers and donors - you make this work...
Dual Language Open Houses
Want to learn more about dual language immersion programs in DC? Attend one of the many upcoming open houses to find out how they work, who they serve and how each one of them uses innovative practices to boost achievement and prepare DC kids for a global future....