Articulating Change: Advocacy as an Act of Interpretive Communication

The purpose of this four-part series is to continue highlighting the valuable connections between language skills and everyday areas of life and work. The framework of this series positions advocacy as an act of communication and storytelling by tying each topic to a mode of communication as defined by the Performance Descriptors. Attendees will hear personal and professional stories from special guest speakers with language experience and an understanding of how different types of communication impact audiences. Attendees will then hear from JNCL-NCLIS leaders about how we see this type of communication value in our advocacy and have the opportunity to participate in a professional development activity and debrief to build experience and confidence in three-modes driven language instruction that serves as a great language advocacy tool. Professional development attendance certificate for 2 hours included. 

Articulating Change: Advocacy as an act of Interpretive Communication

Date: October 27th, 2022 4PM ET

Subtopic: Language at the Intersection of Healthcare

Key Takeaways: How advocacy can come from what we do to listen, view, read and understand ideas. Listening as advocacy. 

Featured Speakers: 

Carol Velanida 

Founder and CEO, Equal Access Language Services LLC.

Carol is a language access advocate, curriculum developer, the founder and CEO of Equal Access Language Services LLC.

She has integrated her passion for social justice, conflict resolution, language and culture into the vision and mission of the company: Preventing language-based discrimination.

She is the creator of “Language as an Equalizer Program”, a program for healthcare, legal, and other public services professionals. Her program seeks to improve the implementation and delivery of language services, by putting language at the forefront of Cultural Competency and Diversity trainings.

Bonnie Nietupski 

Spanish Teacher, Glastonbury Public Schools

Bonnie Nietupski is a Spanish teacher with over 15 years of experience in the classroom. She holds an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut and an M.A. in Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures from Central Connecticut State University. Ms. Nietupski is certified in Spanish, TESOL, and Social Studies. She is involved in refugee resettlement efforts within her community and provides support on acculturation, English-language acquisition, and education for families from around the world, most recently from Afghanistan.  Ms. Nietupski is a 2022 Fund for Teachers fellow and a Board member of the CT Council of Language Teachers.