TAMPA, Fla. — A $1.7 million grant was awarded to Hillsborough County Public Schools from the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity to expand world language programs, according to a press release.
The money will be able to give students an elementary-level Spanish language immersion program at Dawson Elementary, Lanier Elementary, Summerfield Crossings Elementary and West Shore Elementary.
It will also build World Languages course offerings in three secondary schools through a project called "Bridge to Bi-Literacy."
Students in the language immersion programs will be taught math, science, social studies and language arts in both Spanish and English in alignment with Florida's B.E.S.T standards.
There is a goal to increase Spanish learning opportunities and help develop students' language proficiency in "highly military-connected schools."
“Monolingual students will have the opportunity to transform into multilingual learners with a deep understanding of the rich diversity of our community," Superintendent of Schools Addison Davis said in a statement.
"Our district has already experienced the positive impact of a robust Dual Language program, and these funds will allow this important work to continue to academically challenge learners while preparing them with a global mindset and skills to compete in the workforce," he added.
The school district's language immersion model will be able to give an "interactive socially and academically rich learning environment to prepare students to achieve the highest level of language proficiency."
It's important to introduce languages as early in life as possible, according to the Commission on Language Learning. Experts say students who started learning at a younger age retain more than those who start in college.
With this in mind, the school district says teaching elementary school and middle school students world languages is "critical to developing and sustaining the pipeline of individuals with skills needed to address national security and economic competitiveness needs."