CAL has been awarded a three-year grant by the International Research and Studies Program of the U.S. Department of Education to develop a free, online self-access training program that supports teachers, administrators, and families in understanding best practices for and their roles in building and sustaining an effective K-12 heritage language (HL) program. The Building an Effective Heritage Language Program project will support the growth and development of research-based, high-quality HL programs in the U.S. and help to create and strengthen connections between schools and districts serving this population of learners and the larger HL communities.

The training program will include modules for teachers, administrators, and families. All modules will contain narrated presentations, videos from teachers, administrators, and families from existing K-12 HL programs, interactive activities, checks for learning, and questions for discussion and reflection. Content for each module will be informed by information gathered through a literature review, a web search of existing programs, and focus groups and interviews with teachers, administrators, and families. In addition to the modules, the training program will include supplementary resources to further support users in creating and engaging with HL programs in their schools and/or districts.

CAL will be recruiting teachers, administrators, and families from school districts with successful HL programs to participate in focus groups/interviews in early 2024. CAL will also be recruiting individuals to review the training program later in 2024. For more information about this project or to participate in the focus groups or review activities, please contact Jamie Morgan at jmorgan@cal.org.