Visiting International Teachers from Spain during their orientation week in July, 2019. The guest teachers participate in professional development sessions to help them begin to adapt to their new home away from home. They also purchase cars, set up their homes and meet their community mentors this week.

In November, 2019 Rachel Benson (Blue Valley), Alyssa Rumple (Wichita), Mike Flenthrope (Olathe), Dustin McMurry (Arma), and Diane DeNoon (Blue Valley) visited offices of our senators and congressional representatives in Washington D.C. to promote the learning of world languages in Kansas as vital to our nation’s diplomatic missions, national security, and our domestic and international business interests. These Kansas world language leaders all said that they appreciated the attentive reception they received from congressional and senatorial office staff and the assurances from aides that they would pass on their message to our Kansas leaders.

Approximately 25 students spent four weeks on the University of Kansas campus this past summer to learn Swahili through the STARTALK initiative. STARTALK’s mission is to increase the number of U.S. citizens learning, speaking, and teaching critical need foreign languages. At the end of the four weeks, students performed skits, sang songs, and displayed the artwork they created from lessons on culture.

Professor Oleksandra Wallo of the University of Kansas teaches students some skills for studying abroad for a summer in Ukraine. The Open Language Resource Center at the University of Kansas is one of sixteen federally-funded National Foreign Language Resource Centers working to increase the nation's capacity to teach and learn world languages.  The World Languages Fair is envisioned as an annual event that brings together K-12 language students and teachers throughout the region. For more information, please see the Open Language Resource Center website at olrc.ku.edu.

The Seal of Biliteracy initiative continues to grow. In 2018-2019, 24 districts participated and students continue to earn certification in more languages. 406 Certificates were earned in Spanish, French, German, Latin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Turkish, Amharic, and American Sign Language.

Jennifer Parga is the 2019 Kansas World Language Association Teacher of the Year:
“Jennifer Parga is an amazing educator who truly cares about her students inside and outside the classroom.  The tone and level of respect you feel and see when you enter her classroom is impressive.  We are fortunate to have Jennifer Parga as an educator and leader at Wichita North High School.” --Lori A. Doyle, Wichita High School North, Principal