Multilingual Education
The Multilingual Education Team (MET) is dedicated to advancing educational equity and linguistic diversity in Rhode Island. We work with community stakeholders to identify gaps in educational access for multilingual learners and advocate for the creation and funding of dual-language programs. Our goal is to foster a more inclusive, continuous, and equitable learning environment for all students in the Ocean State.
Overall Purpose
The Multilingual Education Team (MET) is committed to advancing educational equity and linguistic diversity across Rhode Island. Currently, only 2% of multilingual public school students in the state are enrolled in dual language programs. Our project aims to address this disparity by increasing access to such programs, ensuring continuity of education, and fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students. Our initiative focuses on advocating for the passage of the Support and Access to Multilingual Education Act and developing actionable white papers for The Coalition for a Multilingual RI. This proposed legislation aims to establish a dual language program fund, empowering related organizations to make a lasting impact on Rhode Island’s educational system. Through these efforts, we hope to bridge the gap by incentivizing districts to implement dual-language programs, making certification regulations more accessible, and creating incentives to encourage and reward world language study.
Short-Term Goals
In the short term, the Multilingual Education team (MET) is focused on strengthening our advocacy and community engagement in Rhode Island to increase visibility on multilingual education. Our goals include publishing op-eds in local outlets, participating in radio appearances, and continuing our Bilingual Story Hour at the Brown Bookstore. In addition, we plan to host community panels to foster collaboration among stakeholders. In response to Rhode Island College’s decision to cut its World Languages Program and as we continue to support the passage of the Support and Access to Multilingual Education Act, we are actively compiling and sending testimonies to administrators and legislators.