What if every child could be offered a bilingual education? According to NYC’s Fabrice Jaumont, the power is in our hands to do it and he’s hosting a series of informative webinars on how to champion bilingual education, gather community support, locate a host school, and ultimately launch a dual-language program at your local school.
Tuesday, 28 April from 16:00 CET to 17:30 CET | 10:00-11:30 (EST)
The Bilingual Revolution – The Future of Education is in (at least) Two Languages. Zoom webinar hosted by the European Commission’s Training and Development Directorate. To register, send request to [email protected]
Jaumont will show how the increased appetite for bilingual education in urban areas of the U.S. applies to many language communities and ethnic groups and how dual language programs contribute to both equity and high-quality education. Invited panelists will put his presentation into a European perspective, applying his findings to the everyday reality of children growing up in an environment where multilingualism and super-diversity is the norm.
The Cultural Services of the Embassy of France to the USA are hosting a series of webinars for parents and educators who are interested in creating bilingual dual-language programs in public schools in the U.S.
Registration: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJQocO6rpzojDq8y6GntDD7-tLFgeGMU1g
April 28 10am EST
1- COMMUNITY OUTREACH: Reaching out to the Community and Creating a Base of Interested Families. In order to create a dual-language program in your local school you’ll need to connect with dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals in your community and form a base of interested families. You can start by forming a core group of parents you know and trust. These are parents who will take part in your shared vision even if they do not have children who will benefit from this initiative. This webinar will help you understand the cultural nuances upon which a specific community will judge your proposal, identify partners, and create committees that will support your initiative. Guest speakers will include parents who have successfully created dual-language programs as well as school principals
May 12: 2pm (EST)
2- LOCATING A SCHOOL: Developing a Convincing Rationale and Locating a Host School. Once your group is organized you must prepare your data and present it to a principal and/or a school community. Before approaching a school principal with your proposal, it is advisable to build a rationale for a local strategy as well as a persuasive argument that will help you convince the school principal as well as other appropriate administrators of the importance of your proposal. This webinar will help you develop a convincing rationale and develop a strategy to locate a school. Guest speakers will include parents who have successfully created dual-language programs as well as school principals.
May 26 2pm (EST)
3-LAUNCHING THE PROGRAM: A Successful Dual-Language Program from Day One. Once the school principal is on board, you and your group must focus your attention on several other aspects. Most importantly, you will have to secure the required number of families, make sure that they enroll their children in the program, provide support at all levels, organize fundraisers, and create partnerships. Guest speakers will include parents who have successfully created dual-language programs as well as school principals.
