AMANDA SEEWALD

As Executive Director, Seewald champions the organization's mission and goals, providing leadership, collaborating with key stakeholders, overseeing staff and legislative support, and ensuring the execution of programs and events with focus on creative pathways forward for JNCL-NCLIS. The owner of MARACAS Language Programs and Learning Kaleidoscope Educational Consulting and author of MARACAS La Clase del Mundo publications, Seewald served as a member of the JNCL-NCLIS Board of Directors for over 10 years, most recently as President. During her term as President, Seewald also supported the organization as a volunteer interim Executive Director.

Seewald has been teaching children, coaching educators, and developing curricula for over 25 years. Her expertise is in multilingual/multicultural curriculum and instruction, focused on PK-12 language learning as well as dual language immersion education. She works with educators and schools across the country as well as in Europe to develop meaningful language programs founded in globally engaged curricula and strong interactive instruction. Seewald is also a Past President of the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ). She served as the N.J. State Representative for the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL) and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Northeast Conference for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL). Seewald was the 2020 recipient of the NECTFL Nelson H. Brooks Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Profession. Her advocacy work in New Jersey led to the signing of the Seal of Biliteracy into law in 2016.

Seewald serves in a part-time capacity for JNCL-NCLIS to allow her to continue in her role as owner of MARACAS Language Programs.