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Congressional Briefing, Organized by The Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) 2024

Tue, Jul 30

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Cannon Office Building, Room 210

America's Languages Caucus Briefing: Federal Efforts to Address the Crisis in K-12 Language Education K-12 world language and dual language programs that create a foundation for developing multilingual and interculturally-able problem solvers.

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Congressional Briefing, Organized by The Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) 2024
Congressional Briefing, Organized by The Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) 2024

Time & Location

Jul 30, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Cannon Office Building, Room 210, 27 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003, USA

Guests

About the event

The Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) formally invites you to attend a congressional briefing regarding the importance of growing world language education programs in the United States:

Federal Efforts to Address the Crisis in K-12 Language Education

K-12 world language and dual language programs that create a foundation for developing multilingual and interculturally-able problem solvers.

Tuesday, July 30 | 11am-12pm ET | Cannon Office Building Room 210

Description:  Language education in America’s K-12 schools is in trouble. Each year, multiple state legislatures consider bills to scale back or eliminate world language course requirements for graduation and school boards facing budget crunches consider and sometimes approve cuts to language education offerings to save money. As a result, fewer students are being exposed to other languages and cultures, leading to less interest in pursuing language education studies in higher education and insufficient numbers of multilingual workers needed for our nation’s businesses, military, intelligence services, and diplomatic corps.

Congress and the Administration are cognizant of this language education crisis and taking steps to address it through the authorized and operational World Language Advancement and Readiness Act Grants Program and legislation such as the World Language Education Assistance Program (World LEAP) – HR. 5603 and the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching (BEST) Act – H.R. 7007/S. 3595.

This briefing will feature: information from the ODNI on the importance of world language education to the nation’s intelligence community; new data and findings yielded by multi-year WLARA grantees; and legislative solutions initiated and led by America’s Language Caucus chairs.

Invited Featured Speakers:

  • Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), America's Languages Caucus Co-Chair
  • Congressman Jen Kiggans (VA-2)

Panel Moderator: Amanda Seewald, Executive Director, JNCL-NCLIS

Welcome and Closing Remarks: Linda Egnatz, President, JNCL-NCLIS

Panelists:

  • April Wawryk, North Hanover Public Schools, NJ
  • Susannah Bailey,  Instructional Supervisor, World Languages & Dual Language Immersion, Department of Teaching and Learning, Newport News Public Schools, VA
  • Kathy Facon, Chief, Partnership and Resources, Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA)
  • Don Gentile, Chief, Foreign Language Group, Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Contact: arutkowski@languagepolicy.org 

Thank you for considering joining us for this timely and necessary conversation. 

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