Organize language festival or fair

Sophia Griffies was awarded a grant on behalf of Audubon Charter School in New Orleans, which began their new Mandarin program by hosting TCLP Chinese exchange teachers during the 2013 and 2014 school years. Through the CLP funds the school hosted a Chinese New Year celebration in 2015 for families and community members. The event showcased Chinese language and culture and included Chinese decorations, a student parade and Chinese dance performance, and tents featuring Chinese food tastings, art, and music.

TCLP Arabic teacher Abir Hassan at Siletz Valley Early College Academy in Siletz Valley, OR organized a Culture Night performance and Fashion Show. Both activities provided an opportunity for her Arabic students to interact with one another and perform for the school and great community, furthering awareness of Arabic culture and language. Ms. Hassan’s Arabic skit was included during the Siletz Culture Night to over 350 community members, and a DVD was created to be used as a learning resource for future Arabic students.

• Mentor teacher Emad Eldigwy and TCLP Arabic teacher Hossam Sarhan at The Center for Global Studies in Norwalk, CT created a multifaceted project which included a field trip for 50 students to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the ancient Egyptian exhibit and follow-up activities to be used during an Arabic Class Fair. During the Fair, 130 middle school students from other schools were introduced to Egyptian culture, clothes, and cooking as facilitated by 50 current Arabic students.

Mentor teacher Claudine Clark at Madison East High School in Madison, WI organized an Arabic Language and Culture Fair with TCLP Arabic teacher Khaled Kenawi. The Fair, held during school hours, tried to recreate the atmosphere of a Middle Eastern marketplace. There were five areas with different interactive activities representing different aspects of Arabic culture: food, clothing, music and dance, culture and geography, and writing. Each area not only taught about culture, but also introduced some language and vocabulary.

TCLP Egyptian exchange teacher Ahmed Mohamed at Renaissance High School was awarded a grant to shed the light on many aspects of the Arab language and culture though an Arabic Night. Current Arabic students gave participants an in-depth look at the Arab world through performances, songs, fashion shows, and games. In the audience were current 8th grade students who will be attending RHS next fall, as well as community members, school district officials, and current RHS students.

TCLP Chinese teacher Li Fang was approved for a CLP grant to fund materials for a Spring Festival performance and a series of art workshops stretching from February into April 2011. The project, which was conducted by 80 Chinese students and 60 art students at Swain High School, presented a Spring Festival performance and six art workshops about traditional Chinese handicrafts to help teachers, students and parents in Swain County better understand Chinese culture.

TCLP alumni mentor teacher Lalainya Goldsberry was approved for a project to showcase Arabic and Chinese students’ language and cultural knowledge at the Lindblom World Language Festival. A secondary goal of the project was to motivate students to begin or continue learning the Arabic or Chinese languages. The Lindblom World Language Festival itself is a competition where students from Lindblom and other schools who were taking Arabic and Chinese compete with each other in the categories of poetry recitation, talent, skits, research project, and drama.

TCLP Host School Alumni Pratt Community School’s Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson was awarded funding for a grant titled “Arabic Language in the World Today”. This proposal included the creation of an Arabic Language Café, where students and their families can practice their Arabic skills in a 'real life' environment. Students used Arabic to create signage for the restaurant, menus, and table learning opportunities. Students waited on tables and utilized their Arabic skills in the ordering and serving of food.