Macomb, IL – There is a growing need for bilingual teachers in farm country. A new program from Western Illinois University will try to nurture a bumper crop of those teachers.
The program is called Project Estrella. Estrella is Spanish for star, and the program is shining bright thanks to a five year, $299,980 grant from the US Department of Education.
Most of that money will provide assistance in the form of tuition, stipends, and field study travel.
Project Estrella will do more than help teachers learn another language. It will also show them how to make lessons culturally relevant to students. Co-Director Gloria Delany-Barmann feels this will help the schools' culture grow and strengthen the academics.
Delany-Barmann says agribusinesees are attracting workers from other countries, increasing the need for bilingual teachers in rural areas. You can listen to an interview with Delany-Barmann by clicking on the audio button.
Additional information:
*Project Estrella is a new program. It will work with teachers in Beardstown and the Quad Cities region.
*WIU's bilingual-bicultural education program started in 1973. It's the oldest such program in Illinois.
*132 languages are spoken in Illinois. Delany-Barmann says teachers are working with more and more English Language Learners in their classrooms.