Blog
“Quiero que todos los niños en nuestro país puedan tener las mismas oportunidades”
The Economic Imperative of Bilingual Education
The Atlantic explores why states are aggressively pushing for immersion programs. "The jobs expected to grow most in the next 10 years are heavily related to languages—hospitality, tourism, marketing, and healthcare,” DC Immersion is quoted as saying “There needs to...
“Language learning should be among our highest educational priorities in the 21st century,” American Academy President Jonathan Fanton
Bipartisan call for First National Study on Language Learning In calling for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’s study, the members of Congress emphasized that American society is increasingly multilingual, Americans are more engaged around the globe than ever...
Systemic Expansion of Immersion Programs
Current immersion programs are in overwhelming demand, touch only 1/3 of English Language Learners and are not accessible to most Ward 7 and 8 families. Let's go one step further in making every DC school great by expanding immersion programs throughout the District....
Join the Conversation
Do you share the vision and mission of DC Language Immersion Project? Join our grassroots group by signing up here! A pop up will appear. Spread the word among your personal network – including family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers!
Skylar wants to speak to her friends
DC Student's Perspective Skylar, an English native speaker third grader in one of DC's existing dual language immersion programs reminded us that students too must have a voice in this conversation. In an increasingly linguistically diverse city, children want to be...
You’re invited! Myths and reality on immersion’s impact on achievement
A Letter to Our Community
Dear Friends,The sad news is that DC Immersion is closing. The good news is that, together, we have built a network of support for equitable access to multilingual education in DC that transcends a specific organization. Thank you for advocating, learning, and...
These Friends Rock Dual Language – Follow Them!
There is a world of dual language knowledge in DC and beyond. Many of these educators, parents and organizations' passion for dual language predates DC Immersion, many of them have grown with us. We hope you can draw inspiration from these friends and walk with them...
Statement on DC Immersion’s Dissolution
Dear Families, educators, and partners, It is with great disappointment that we share with you that the DC Language Immersion Project (DC Immersion) is dissolving as a 501c3 organization due to a lack of resources after six years of tireless advocacy for multilingual...
What I Have Learned From Suppressing My Bilingualism
By: Thi Nguyen “Hey, can I talk to you?”, said Mr. Kim, my PE teacher, as he pulled me to the side of the soccer field. “I saw that you were talking to other Vietnamese students, and I want to remind you that it’s very important to speak English all the time in...
Stuck stateside needn’t mean you can’t chat with foreign locals — and improve your language skills
By Paul Abercrombie, The Washington Post Aug 7, 2020 For the original article click here. As a longtime student of Italian, I look forward to near-annual trips to the bel paese for a chance to talk with native speakers. Or, as my wife and teenage son might put...
How DLI Programs in the District Can be Utilized to Combat Inequality and Racial Segregation
By: Catherine Pulupa and Rebecca Rubin Damari from the University of Maryland's National Foreign Language Center To view full report click here Widespread outrage in response to the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many other...
Julio Argueta Shares His Experience as a Multilingual Ambassador
For the last nine months, DC Immersion was joined by our Multilingual Ambassadors, eight seniors from the International Academy of Roosevelt High School DCPS. These students created outreach strategies to increase attendance to our Multilingual Education Fair of DC....
Open Letter to DCPS Chancellor on Houston Elementary
Dear Chancellor, Houston Elementary led the way in being the very first dual language program East of the River. DCPS listened to the wishes of the Deanwood community and in 2016 Houston Elementary enrolled an inaugural PK3 class of 30 students who would go onto...
Supporting Recruitment and Retention of Latino, Hispanic and Latinx Teachers
In April, the DC State Board of Education passed Resolution SR20-5 "in support of measures to increase recruitment and retention of Latino, Hispanic, and Latinx teachers." This resolution is an important step in better supporting dual language programs across DC. It...
Third Dual Language Program East of the River!
We are delighted to announce a third dual language program will open its doors East of the River in school year 2021-22. Last month, the DC Public Charter School Board moved to grant preliminary approval to Global Citizens Public Charter School to offer a dual...
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....
Online Shop Now Open!
Our online shop has released in time for the holiday season! Support equitable access to multilingual education in DC while getting gifts for students, colleagues, teachers, family, friends, and yourself! Sizes available range from Youth XS to Adult XXL. All Proceeds...
DC Immersion at ACTFL 2019
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) hosted their 2019 annual convention and world languages expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Pre-convention workshops began Thursday, November 21, and the schedule programs ran through...
Brainstorming Equity of Access to Dual Language
On November 23, 2019, in collaboration with our partners at University of Maryland's National Foreign Language Center (NFLC), DC Immersion presented on the recently published report, Demographics and Equity of Dual Language Immersion Programs in Washington, D.C. at...
Cafritz Foundation Awards DC Immersion $35,000 Capacity Building Grant
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Washington, D.C., November 20, 2019 The DC Language Immersion Project (DC Immersion) is pleased to announce it was awarded a $35,000 grant from The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. The grant will support the strengthening of DC...
La Suissesse qui veut rendre Washington bilingue
Our executive director was the guest of the 12th episode of the Révolution Bilingue podcast by Fabrice Jaumont. Enjoy! Passage par Washington pour ce douzième épisode de Révolution bilingue en partant à la rencontre de Vanessa Bertelli. Cette suissesse...
Demographics and Equity of Dual Language Immersion Programs in Washington, DC
An analysis of the demographics of kindergarteners in DC public dual language immersion (DLI) schools as compared with non-DLI schools, to move beyond anecdotal evidence, and inform the debate on equity of access to and enrollment in DLI programs. The report highlights areas of concern, and identifies policies and further research needed to allow the District’s most vulnerable students equitable access to these opportunity-boosting programs.
Un Tiempo Lleno de Memorias Dejadas Atrás
By Heriberto Silvano Delgado, DC Immersion's Multilingual Ambassador (English version further below) El mes de la herencia hispana me hace preguntarme de qué manera mucho de los jóvenes hispanos conocieron el significado de ser Hispano/a. En mi experiencia personal...
Our Goals (x4 by 2030)
DC Immersion is working to quadruple the number of seats in quality dual language programs by 2030 with a focus on low-income and at-risk communities. By 2023, our goal is: The District will have legislation mirroring California and New York giving families a right to...
Meet our Multilingual Ambassadors
In August 2019, eight seniors from the International Academy of Roosevelt High School DCPS joined DC Immersion for a 6 months internship. As part of the Multilingual Ambassadors program, the students will learn outreach strategies to inform DC's diverse communities...
Where do I start?
I created these resources to make it easier for people of color to access cost-effective experiences with highly beneficial return on investment. Guest post by Byron L. Williams, International Affairs Professional English as my mother tongue. Spanish when I was in my...
DC da un paso más hacia la educación bilingüe
Por Olga Imbaquingo, El Tiempo Latino. 26 de Agosto, 2019 Artículo completo aquí Mientras algunos políticos conservadores, por un lado, van predicando que el inglés es el único idioma que se debe hablar; la sociedad estadounidense y la del Distrito de Columbia...
ACTFL Report Highlights Need For Languages in U.S. Workforce
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), a longstanding partner in DC Immersion’s work, recently released Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers. This report highlights the increased demand for...
2019 Multilingual Education Awards
Over 100 multilingual education experts, practitioners, and supporters from all over the District gathered once again on July 9, 2019 for DC Immersion’s second annual Multilingual Education Awards, generously sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and...
OSSE Multilingual Learners Conference
Made possible also thanks to DC Immersion and its advocacy partners' work that led to the creation and programmatic funding of the Office of Multilingual Education within the Office of the State Superintendent for Education, OSSE’s Multilingual Learner Conference...
DC Funds Language Roadmap
Demand for multilingual employees in the DC region has more than doubled over the last five years, yet less than 8% of DC students are on a path to becoming proficient in more than one language. On Tuesday, as part of the FY2020 Budget, the DC Council approved funding...
Charter board turns down Arabic immersion school but encourages founders to return next year with strengthened application
By Megan Mineiro, Reporter, The DC Line May 20, 2019 Read more here. Update: DC Public Charter School Board members voted unanimously tonight to reject the proposed Arabic Language Public Charter School, but in brief discussion they encouraged the leadership team to...
How to testify in front of the DC Council
Providing public testimony at a DC Council hearing is one of the most effective ways of communicating with the legislators of the District of Columbia. You can testify in your personal capacity or on behalf of a community or organization you represent. Whether you are...
D.C. Residents Report Multilayered Fatigue With Chancellor Search(es) as Ferebee Hearings Conclude
By Cuneyt Dil, Reporter, Washington City Paper, February 13, 2019 Read more here. "The turnover certainly hasn’t helped DCPS, and it may have stalled progress. For example, several people testified on Tuesday about the sore need for expanding...
NYC adds 47 new dual language programs. Where does DC stand?
Last week, the Chancellor of New York City Public Schools announced the addition of 47 new PK dual language programs across all five boroughs in school year 2019/2020. And that is in addition to the 32 new dual language programs added in school year 2018/2019 In the...
The 2019 Multilingual Education Fair of DC
On Saturday, January 26th, nearly 1,000 families, educators, employers, and community members from 3 countries, 11 states, and all 8 wards of the District of Columbia attended the 3rd edition of the Multilingual Education Fair of DC to discover local resources for...
Over 1200 Registered to attend Multilingual Fair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 25, 2019 Washington, DC – DC Language Immersion Project will host the third edition of this free event this Saturday, January 26, 2019 from 10am to 2pm. Over 1200 pre-registered. Gallaudet University President Roberta J. Cordano said "We...
DC Council Majority Supports Dual Language Education Innovation
For Immediate Release - Washington DC January 10, 2019 During the first legislative session of 2019, a bill to support the expansion of dual language programs in District schools was co-introduced by a majority of D.C. Council members: Education Committee Chair David...
East End Ribbon Cutting for Elsie Whitlow Stokes!
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of Elsie Whitlow Stokes East End PCS embodies how far we have come in the understanding of and support for dual language programs in the District of Columbia. DC Immersion is incredibly proud of this progress. Read our...
Researching Best Practices on Expanding Teacher Pipelines
PRESS RELEASE - Washington DC October 10, 2018 Partnership Between Qatar Foundation International and DC Language Immersion Project on Best Practices to Expand Multilingual Education Teacher Pipelines To tackle one of the biggest hurdles to the expansion of...
DCAYA’s Advocacy Impact Award goes to … DC Immersion!
In September, DC Immersion's Executive Director Vanessa Bertelli was awarded the 2018 Individual Advocacy Impact Award in recognition of her outstanding leadership and achievement in promoting citywide progress on behalf of youth, young adults and students. We are...
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month: ¿Quién soy entonces?
"'La Comunidad'" by ever/siempre is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 By Johanna Barrantes, DC Immersion's Engagement Strategist When I think of things that give me comfort, when I am able to collect episodes of my life to feel connected to myself and to the world, I...
Why Language Matters to D.C. United
Here at DC Immersion we spend a significant amount of our time engaging families and communities about the importance of a multilingual education for all District residents. Guess how excited we were to hear members of the D.C. United team making that argument for us?...
The next DCPS Chancellor must be a champion of multilingual education
The DC Language Immersion Project works to engage families, support educators, research best practices and advocate for a systemic approach to close the opportunity gap through multilingual education. In December of 2016, we testified in front of the Education...
Meet Marjoury Alicea, SBOE’s bilingual student representative
The State Board of Education recently announced it’s selection for student representatives. We were fortunate enough to meet Miss Marjoury Alicea, the newly appointed student representative, and learned about her goals in this new chapter and how her bilingual...
Beyond a Bridge to Understanding
By Martha G Abbott, AFT American Educator, Vol. 42, NO. 2, Summer 2018 Read more here. "Even before having children, Jimell Sanders was intent on ensuring that her local school would be able to offer the opportunity of early second language learning. A health systems...
2018 Multilingual Education Awards
On July 12th, 2018 the DC Language Immersion Project gathered the leading experts and practitioners of multilingual education to celebrate the work of a community committed to providing access to linguistic and cultural competence to all children. DC Immersion had the...
Are dual-language programs in urban schools a sign of gentrification?
By Perry Stein, Reporter, Washington Post July 3 Read more here. "D.C. Public Schools is considering expanding the dual-language program at Tyler to meet citywide demand, and that possibility has some parents worried the District intends to attract more upper- income...
DC leads the way with a state-level Office of Multilingual Education
The District is poised to lead the nation with the creation of a state-level Office of Multilingual Education housed within the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, and tasked with setting a vision for multilingual education for ALL students across all...
Bridging America’s Language Gap: A Call to Action
DC Immersion is proud to partner with leaders in American business, government, and education in a national effort to strengthen language education so that individual Americans can more effectively participate in a global society, and the nation as a whole can prosper...
Handy guide to educate your preferred candidate
Election season is upon us. So we've compiled a handy guide to help you educate your favorite candidate about the need for more and better multilingual education in DC. CHILDREN IN DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ACHIEVE BETTER, WHATEVER THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ETHNICITY...
Invest 550,000 in FY2019 for Multilingual Education!
Demand for multilingual education in the District is off the charts, but only 8% of District youth have access to these opportunity-boosting programs. The Mayor’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2019 budget DOES NOT include funding for multilingual education which is key to...
Dual language charter schools attract the longest waiting lists in D.C.
By Perry Stein, The Washington Post on April 17, 2018 Read more here. "Elsie Whitlow Stokes school, a Northeast Washington preschool and elementary charter that teaches classes in two languages, has the longest waiting list of any D.C. charter school, with 1,827...
Demand for Dual Language Programs Surges – The District must invest in bilingual education
Language graduation requirements should not be waived for special education students
After hearing from national and local experts, and analyzing the literature available on the topic, DC Immersion issues this policy statement on allowing SPED students to waive the world language high school graduation requirement and take a coding class or two level...
Summer Camps in DC Area
Summer Camps in DC Area We compiled this 2018 list of language summer camps for your young linguists. If you find it helpful, please remember to support our work! If you have any to add, please add them in the comments to this page and we’ll get right to it. F is for...
To ensure inclusive cultural innovation, linguistic and cultural competence must be part of DC’s Cultural Plan
Below are DC Immersion's comments on the DC Cultural Plan. We respectfully ask that the funding of linguistic and cultural competence become an integral part of DC’s Cultural Plan. The District has a lot to gain from linguistic and cultural competence.* Better...
Letter: Bilingual Education Should Be Available to All Children
Below is DC Immersion's Executive Director Vanessa Bertelli's Letter to the Editor which was published on The Atlantic on February 3rd, 2018. Read more here. A reader argues that a more desirable workforce—and a more equitable society—hangs in the balance. Conor...
2018 Bilingual Education Fair of DC – all 8 wards and plenty more!
Over 300 participants from all 8 wards of the District of Columbia and from all neighboring cities and counties of Maryland and Virginia attended the 2018 Bilingual Education Fair of DC on January 20th, 2018 to learn about why, how and where to raise multilingual kids...
9 DC region school districts attend our professional development session!
Teachers and administrators from 9 DC region school districts enthusiastically took part in our professional development session on "The State and Value of Dual Language Programs...
A thank you from John B. King Jr.
We asked former US Secretary of Education and current President and CEO of The Education Trust John B. King Jr. to welcome educators and families to the 2018 Bilingual Education Fair of DC. We got a passionate and encouraging speech filled with gratitude for the work...
Realizan Feria de Educación Bilingüe
Este sábado 20 se realizará en Washington, DC, la segunda edición de este evento con unos 40 expositores Redacción | El Tiempo Latino | 1/18/2018, La demanda de educación bilingüe y la necesidad de empleados bilingües se está disparando en todo el país y Washington,...
The Week Ahead: Bilingual Education Fair of DC
By Current News Staff WriterJanuary 17, 2018 The Bilingual Education Fair of DC will be held at the Thurgood Marshall Center at 1816 12th St., NW from 1 to 5 p.m. The fair is an event for Washington, D.C. region parents, educators and community members to discover...
D.C. Public Schools Hold Bilingual Education Fair
By AFRO Staff, January 16th, 2018 Read more here. As part of the D.C. Language Immersion Project, the Thurgood Marshall Center, located at 1816 12th Street, NW, is scheduled to host a Bilingual Education Fair on Jan. 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The fair will allow...
Languages as privilege
Languages equal privilege. Languages are taught in private schools much more than in public schools. Wealthy Americans send their kids to Mandarin dual language schools in droves. Wealthier kids have Spanish speaking nannies, private language tutors, will go travel...
Achievement in DC’s dual language programs
Over the last three years, DC Immersion has been working to gather data to study the impact of DC's dual language programs on achievement. Preliminary data obtained from the DC Office of the State Superintendent on Education (OSSE) shows students in dual language...
Advocacy Toolkit for DC Parents
We've listened! Here is the ultimate advocacy toolkit to get a multilingual program started in your community. Tell us a little more about yourself so we can better support and connect you with other advocates in your community, and download the toolkit here. Or you...
Wonder Woman, languages and perception of time
Wonder Woman Speaks All Languages, Bends Perception of Time By Sarah Sloat Wonder Woman is a superhero of many talents: She’s got incredible strength and speed, and she seems to be both indestructible and immortal. But her most underrated skill of all is her ability...
3 days, 8 wards, 100 advocates and a U-Turn?
Guest post by Fabrice Jaumont Back from DC where I proudly supported the efforts of DC Immersion and its wonderful team in what is now referred to as the Bilingual Revolution in DC. During these three days, I took part in no less than 9 events and talked about my...
Prochaine destination de la “révolution bilingue” ? Washington DC
By Rémi Gaggioli, French Morning, October 17th 2017 Let's hear it in French now! « Nous voulons donner aux parents des outils pour qu’ils obtiennent de la municipalité qu’une éducation bilingue soit disponible dans leur communauté », explique Vanessa Bertelli,...
Multilingual Education is a Strategic Priority!
The new 2017-2022 DC Public School Strategic Plan was released this month. We are proud and excited that, after years of advocacy and community engagement, multilingual education is finally one of DC Public School’s Strategic Priorities, along with increasing...
An interview with Fabrice Jaumont
Below is an interview with our friend Fabrice Jaumont author of “Bilingual Revolution: The Future of Education is in Two Languages”. He is one of the international authorities on bilingual education and community engagement relating to it. We owe him a debt of...
Praise from the Committee on Education
DC Immersion was among many respected education advocates to testify during the DC Council's Committee on Education hearing on the 2017-2022 DC Public Schools Strategic Plan. Together with other public witnesses, DC Immersion spoke out in support of DCPS strategic...
Bilingual Revolution in DC
Looking for information you can use to make bilingual education happen in your community? Join fellow parents in your community at a venue near you over the weekend of October 20th-22nd! In response to the skyrocketing and unmet demand for dual language programs in...
Bilingual education benefits all students
In response to a recent article suggesting that the rising popularity of dual language programs could leave Latinos behind, we feel data, research and a broader perspective are needed. This complex topic cannot be reduced to Latinos versus rest of DC residents, nor...
The importance of building synergies on multilingual education for all students
The excerpt below from Diane J. Tedick's chapter "United States of America: The Paradoxes and Possibilities of Bilingual Education" in "Building Bilingual Education Systems: Forces, Mechanisms and Counterweights" sets out why it makes sense for all advocates of...
Monolingual parents of kids in dual language – you’ve got this!
So you’ve won the lottery and your child is about to begin the adventure of a lifetime - learning in two languages. You are excited but also anxious about how to help your child when you do not speak or understand one of those languages. Though you are not with your...
Rising popularity of dual-language education could leave Latinos behind
By Tara García Mathewson, US News, July 31, 2017 This article raises the very important issue of who should have priority in the expansion of bilingual education at a critical time, as DCPS is about to issue its strategic plan which will include the expansion of dual...
Bilingual Daycares in DC
We're with you. Your young child's brain should get on with one of the things it does best at this age - acquire languages! To help you out, we compiled this listing of center based daycares (D) and home and family daycares (HD) with immersion or bilingual programs....
What does the District gain with languages?
We condensed the top reasons the District should actively and purposefully pursue multilingual education from early childhood to the workforce. Download here and enjoy!
DC Immersion’s Jimell Sanders selected on SBOE #DCGradReqs Task Force
We are very proud to announce that our Director of Engagement and stellar education advocate Jimell Sanders has been selected to be on the DC State Board of Education's High School Graduation Requirements Task Force. Under the leadership of Ward 1 representative Laura...
Growing demand for bilingual employees in the DC Region
A new report by bipartisan research group New American Economy indicates that there is a growing need for bilingual employees in the US workforce. In fact, demand for multilingual employees more than doubled over the last five years. We asked New American Economy to...
A Vision for DC – Leveraging the District’s Diversity through Bilingual Education
With our partners at the DC Workforce Investment Council we hosted a panel discussion featuring DCPS Chancellor Wilson, Swiss Ambassador to the US Dahinden, New York State Deputy Commissioner Infante, Delaware Department of Education official Fulton-Archer and Ms....
Region’s demand for bilingual workers is booming. Should D.C. schools offer more dual-language programs?
By Perry Stein, The Washington Post, May 5, 2017 The Washington Post reported on our policy discussion "A Vision for DC". "The panel discussion featured D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson, school leaders from Delaware and New York, an economics researcher...
Strand Programs v. Whole School Programs
DC Public Schools (DCPS)’ four strand programs - Tyler, Cleveland, Marie Reed and Powell - are at a crossroad. Historically, other strand programs (SWS, Logan Montessori, etc.) have eventually moved on to whole school programs. DC Immersion believes making the...
Our Neighborhood School Didn’t Have a Dual-Language Immersion Program So We Started One
By Jimell Sanders, Education Post, April 10, 2017 "It was clear our home address was determining what opportunities were available to us, and, sadly, they were very few. We didn’t have the expertise to open a charter school and couldn’t wait on a charter school...
How will you Lead with Languages?
"Our national security, economic competitiveness and fabric as a united people demand that we increase our nation’s language skills and global competence." This is the introduction to the national call to action of the Lead With Languages campaign. We are very proud...
America’s Languages: Investing in Language Education for the 21st Century
Yesterday, the bi-partisan, national effort led by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Commission on Language Learning released its report "America's Languages: Investing in Language Learning for the 21st Century". It recommends a national strategy to...
Invest In Languages Week
The demand for K-12 language immersion in DC still dramatically outweighs the available slots at immersion schools. This means every year hundreds of DC students are prevented from attending language programs because there are not enough seats. This lack of seats...
Talking points on ESSA
ESSA provides an opportunity to harness concrete, innovative, research-based initiatives that narrow the achievement gap, support all of DC’s student populations, and allow our children to develop critical 21st century skills and make DC’s workforce competitive. In...
2016 Annual Report
Looking back at 2016, we cannot help being incredibly proud of what DC Immersion achieved. With the help of countless, passionate volunteers and strong partner organizations, we educated many more DC residents on the benefits and challenges of bilingual education,...
It’s a Gap-Closing Strategy!
Over the last two and a half years, DC Immersion has been making the case that dual language programs should be better supported and expanded because they are an effective way to increase proficiency across all of our DC student populations. You can read our latest...
DC’s First Bilingual Education Fair
Why, How and Where to Raise Bilingual Kids - even if you only speak one language Organized by DC Language Immersion Project with support from French Morning Supported by Rochambeau, The French School of Washington DC, Whole Kids Academy and Qatar Foundation...
6 Potential Brain Benefits Of Bilingual Education
Yes, we all know, but it's nice to be reminded by the latest NPR Education podcast in the series 5 Million Voices (that is the number of students in the US who are English language learners). Attention, empathy, reading (English), school performance and engagement,...
Dual-language programs benefit disadvantaged black kids, too, experts say
By Natalie Gross, The Hechinger Report, November 22, 2016 The Hechinger Report explores the benefits of dual-language programs in socioeconomically disadvantaged, black neighborhoods. "With bilingualism linked to enhanced academic and social skills, educators say...
Partner Language Proficiency as an Indicator of School Performance
On November 16th, 2016 DC Immersion testified on the Every Student Succeeds Act or #ESSA in front of the DC State Board of Education. Our testimony made the argument that the level of proficiency in the partner language should count, together with other standard...
Teacher Sourcing for Dual Language Programs
Our panelists presented and discussed with an audience of close to 100 teachers, paraprofessionals, embassies' cultural attachés, local and federal government officials, deans of local universities, policy experts and school district officials from across the DC...
Working with Georgetown University on Research on Assessment
We are excited to be working with Georgetown University's Assessment and Evaluation Language Resource Center AELRC on much needed research on partner language assessments in DC's dual language programs. "Assessment and evaluation are key elements in a comprehensive...
California Parents Who Want Dual Language Could Get It
Under Prop58, aka The California Multilingual Education Act, expected to be overwhelmingly approved on November 8, schools are mandated to implement a dual language program if more than 20 parents in any grade or 30 parents across the school request it. The initiative...
Where is DC on the Dual Language Policy Spectrum?
The Joint National Committee on Languages (JNCL), among other things, analyzes state policies that support dual language immersion. It recently looked at where DC falls on the spectrum of state support for dual language programs and found that, despite evidence-based...
2016 State of Dual Language in DC
This infographic looks at the state of dual language education in DC. There are currently 14 elementary school dual language programs, 4 middle and 3 high school programs, for a total of 21 programs. Eight of these are Public Charter Schools, while 13 are DC public...
Better understanding the demand for dual language programs
To better understand the demand for dual language programs in the District, in partnership with the National Foreign Language Center of the University of Maryland, and with the support of a majority of the existing dual language programs in DC across both sectors, DC...
Register for October 5th Panel on Teacher Sourcing for Dual Language Programs!
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The Contributions of Language to the Economic Interest of the United States
The bipartisan Commission on Language Learning of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is due to release its findings later this year. In the meantime, you can read the briefing paper submitted by the Joint National Committee on Languages (JNCL-NCLS) - The...
Dual Language as Desegregation Tool
Click the image below to read how dual language programs can be used as a tool to desegregate socioeconomically our schools, narrow the achievement gap and increase opportunity.
Hoja de Datos
El valor económico y social de una educación bilingüe
On Saturday June 4th 2016, DC Immersion held its first community forum aimed at the Latino population of Ward 1, presented by National Foreign Language Center of University of Maryland and co-hosted by the Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs and the State Board of...
Skylar wants to speak to her friends
DC Student's Perspective Skylar, an English native speaker third grader in one of DC's existing dual language immersion programs reminded us that students too must have a voice in this conversation. In an increasingly linguistically diverse city, children want to be...
Destacan valor de la ensegñanza en dos idiomas
By Milagros Meléndez-Vela, El Tiempo Latino, May 27, 2016 El Tiempo latino reported on the hosting of our Ward 1 community engagement forum El Valor Económico y Social de tuna Educación Bilingüe "“Estamos muy entusiasmados con la oportunidad de llevar el mensaje a la...
El valor económico y social — 4 de junio de 2016
Matricúlese en Español aquí bilingue.eventbrite.com ¿Cómo funcionan los programas bilingües y cómo afectan el progreso académico tanto para hablantes nativos como para los que no son nativos? ¿Cuál es el valor de la competencia lingüística y cultural para la nueva...
DLI Network
As part of a broader strategy to support existing dual language programs in DC, with this new bulletin we aim to share information and report back on DC Immersion's activity. We hope you find it useful and look forward to your feedback. If you are an administrator or...
Dual-Language Classes for Kids Grow in Popularity
In increasingly global economy, more parents seek leg up for their children through early immersion programs By Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2016 Penelope Spain is desperate to make her 3-year-old son fluent in a second language. Last year, the...
D.C. Schools Expand Dual-Language Programs
By Natalie Gross, Education Writers Association, March 18th 2016 The news of Houston Elementary DCPS having been authorized to start a dual language immersion program in the fall of 2016 was covered by the Latino Ed Beat of the Education Writers Association "“We know...
Houston Elementary’s new Dual Language program featured in Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/one-dc-school-is-turning-to-spanish-immersion-to-help-its-students-learn-english/2016/03/07/afb8684a-e20c-11e5-8d98-4b3d9215ade1_story.html One D.C. school is turning to Spanish i...ts learn English - The Washington Post...
One D.C. school is turning to Spanish immersion to help its students learn English
By Perry Stein, The Washington Post, March 7th 2016 Students east of the Anacostia River will be able to enroll in a dual-language school in their neighborhood for the first time, as Houston Elementary, a low-performing school in Ward 7, will become a...
Cost of dual language
The actual short and long term cost implications of implementing dual language programs in DC needs to be better understood. In the meantime, with the help of DC budget analyst Mary Levy, we compared the operational budgets of all elementary dual language programs...
Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity
On Saturday, February 20, 2016 DC Language Immersion Project, DC Public Library and DC State Board of Education hosted Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity sponsored by Alliance Française DC and Quebec Bureau. The forum explored the value of language in a global...
Logistics @ Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity
Register Here: https://pathwaytoopportunity.eventbrite.com Saturday, February 20, 2016 • Francis Gregory Library Hosted by: The DC Language Immersion Project, the DC State Board of Education, Alliance Francaise of Washington DC, the Quebec Bureau, and the DC Public...
Alliance Française DC and Quebec Bureau present Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity
DC Language Immersion Project, DCPL and DC State Board of Education to host Ward 7 Community Forum sponsored by Alliance Française DC and Quebec Bureau on Saturday, February 20 Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity will explore the value of language in a 21st Century...
Education Town Hall on WeActRadio featuring Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity
The DC Language Immersion Project was honored to be featured on today's Education Town Hall on WeActRadio http://www.weactradio.com/?s=education Here's what we had to say about dual language immersion education in the district and our upcoming Ward 7 Community Forum....
Listen to us on WeActRadio
The DC Language Immersion Project was honored to be featured on today's Education Town Hall on WeActRadio http://www.weactradio.com/?s=education Here's what we had to say about dual language immersion education in the district and our upcoming Ward 7 Community Forum....
Ward 7 Community Forum
Please join us for our Ward 7 Community Forum on Languages as a Pathway to Opportunity.
Dual Language Drought | Capital Community News
The District must grow a pool of global citizens fluent in various world languages and cultures, if it’s serious about developing long-term relations with countries like China and expanding employment opportunities for its residents, says Vanessa Bertelli, co-founder...
Tis’ the season to be jolly
New Dual Language Program! Lots of lucky dads and moms in the boundary of Houston Elementary, the District’s 14th elementary dual language program, and the first East of the River. Here's to many more! We are proud to have contributed to this happening and look...
First Dual Language Program East of the River
Lots of lucky dads and moms in the boundary of Houston Elementary, the District’s 14th elementary dual language program, and the first East of the River. Here's to many more! We are proud to have contributed to this happening and look forward to continuing to work...
FLES v. Dual Language Programs
In comparison with FLES programs (Foreign Language in Elementary School), dual language immersion programs are less expensive, more impactful in terms of achievement and results on the District’s future workforce. 1. FLES is part of the answer in the short...
A New Network of Dual Language in DC
With the pretext of celebrating its first anniversary, DC Immersion invited all the administrators and key educators of DC's traditional public and public charter dual language programs to attend a talk by Dr. Robert Slater Co-Principal Investigator of the...
Thank you!
Thank you all for celebrating our 1st Anniversary. DC Language Immersion Project was born as a grassroots organization of residents, parents, teachers and community groups from across the district, with support from educational organizations from all 8 wards of the...
Our Approach
Grounded in data and analysis Collaborative and cross sector District-wide and respectful of indivdual communities Supporting both exisiting and new programs Leveraging local and national expertise and best practices Providing additional funding opportunities We are...
The Economic Imperative of Bilingual Education
By Melinda D. Anderson, November 10, 2015 The Atlantic explores why states are aggressively pushing for immersion programs. "The jobs expected to grow most in the next 10 years are heavily related to languages—hospitality, tourism, marketing, and healthcare,” DC...
Download our factsheet and our banner!
We are working on a number of materials to help our grassroots members inform their communities, their schools and their elected officials about the benefits of language immersion programs and their impact on the DC economy. Here is something to get you started!
Stories from the Nation’s Capital
By Amaya Garcia and Conor P. Williams, New America Education, October 2015 "On a muggy evening in early June a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, a group of parents and community advocates is gathered in the gym of a local school to learn about the educational benefits...
Language immersion schools flourish in D.C.
By Moriah Costa, June 12, 2015 "The D.C. Language Immersion Project, a language education advocacy group, is the biggest force behind expanding programs in the District. The group often hosts educational meetings on the benefits of language programs." Read full...
Myths and Realities on Immersion’s Impact on Achievement
Thank you to all the teachers, parents and community who came to our community engagement forum in Ward 6 to explore Myths and Realities on Immersion's Impact on Achievement with Dr. Robert Slater, Co-Principal investigator of the Portland Study. Io said it best...
Education in multiple languages gives kids a big boost, which means high demand for DC’s programs
David Alpert, Greater Greater Washington, June 10, 2015 We contributed to this blog post on Greater Greater Washington which focusses on the demand for dual language programs in DC thank to the data analysis by District Measured. "However, according to Vanessa...
New Advocacy Group Pushes for Multilingualism in D.C. Schools
By Conor Williams, New America Ed, February 27, 2015 D.C.’s dynamism as a local community was on full display earlier this week at a panel event hosted by the DC Language Immersion Project. The discussion, titled “Economic and Workforce Development Impacts of Language...
ICYMI Storify, Audio Recording and Slides
Thank you to our panelists and moderator for the excellent discussion on Economic and Workforce Development Impacts of Expanding Language Immersion in DC. Below are Storify (thank you, W2EN!), audio recording (thank you, @maustermuhle!) and some of the slides....
Economic and Workforce Development Impacts of Expanding Language Immersion in DC
Thank you to our panelists and moderator Martin Austermuhle of WAMU for the excellent discussion on Economic and Workforce Development Impacts of Expanding Language Immersion in DC. Sincere thanks to Goethe Institute for hosting us and to our panelists whose bios are...
Meet Our Panelists!
We are thankful for all of our wonderful panelists who will be presenting at our panel discussion "Economic and Workforce Development Impacts of Language Immersion" at Goethe-Institut tomorrow, 24 Feb, at 6:30 p.m. Libia Gil President Obama named Dr. Libia Gil...
You are invited! February 24th at 6:30, Goethe-Institut Gallery
Come join our second panel discussion to explore how language immersion programming impacts the desirability of DC’s future workforce, tourism impact and foreign direct investment climate. How can city agencies implement a long-term strategic plan? This discussion is...
Language Immersion in Urban Public Schools: Benefits and Challenges
This panel discussion is intended to inform parents, educators, administrators, and community from all eight wards on the benefits and challenges of implementing Language Immersion programs in our public elementary schools. The hope is that a coalition of stakeholders...
Recording, storify and slides from our inaugural panel discussion
Our panel discussion on Language Immersion in Urban Public Schools: Benefits and Challenges was a very successful inaugural event for the DC Language Immersion Project. Here is the permanent youtube link to the recording of the panel. [youtube...
Meet our Panelists
We are thankful for the great panelists who will be presenting at our Language Immersion in Urban Schools panel discussion tonight at 6pm in the Great Hall of MLK Library. Marty Abbott Martha Abbott is the Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of...
Language Immersion Programs Growing in DC but only West of the River
By Michael Chandler, December 1, 2014 Read the full article here.
Download our flier!
We are looking forward to seeing you in the Great Hall of Martin Luther King Library on Thursday December 4th at 6pm to talk about Language Immersion in Urban Public Schools - Exploring the Benefits and Challenges. Please download the DC Language Immersion Project...
December 4th Panel Discussion at MLK Library
Language Immersion in Urban Public Schools: Exploring the benefits and challenges Thursday December 4th, 2014 at 6pm Great Hall of MLK Library, 901 G Street NW Co-hosted by DC Public Library, DC State Board of Education and DC Language Immersion Project Sponsored...