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The Catalyst - December 2023 Edition |
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Greetings from FLANC! It has been an eventful year for FLANC in 2023! We advocated for the World LEAP Act during JNCL Language Advocacy Days, celebrated the Best of FLANC during our Spring Conference and virtual ShareFest, and collaborated with many talented educators at our annual Fall Conference this past year. As the 2023 Fall Conference chair, I’m happy to report that we had just under 500 participants registered for the conference this year! Thank you to all the presenters for wonderful and inspiring presentations. I encourage you to reach out to each other and find more opportunities to connect after the conference. We are all very grateful for all the board members who helped make the conference possible. |
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Yi-Wen Liu, President |
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As we look forward to a new year, the FLANC board continues to work hard to organize future events and brainstorm better ways to reach our members. In the fall business meeting, FLANC proposed a Plan of Corporate Restructuring and Dedication of Assets and Bylaw Changes, and members approved. We are currently filing Articles of Incorporation and will share updates at the beginning of the year in 2024. I'm looking forward with great excitement to serving as the president of FLANC this year. The FLANC board will continue to work hard to promote and serve the World Language-Learning Community in North Carolina. We are constantly looking for feedback and ways to improve as a non-profit organization. If you are interested in becoming more involved with FLANC as a volunteer or future board member, please email me at president@flanc.org.
Happy holidays! |
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We would like to offer a special WELCOME and THANKS to the FLANC board. The fall conference marked the beginning for several new board members, and some returning in new positions. The board is made up of volunteers who work behind the scenes to carry out events and further the work of FLANC. You can find the full list of members and positions on the FLANC Contact Us page. Reach out anytime! If you are interested in learning more about serving on the Board, please contact the president at president@flanc.org. |
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Announcing the 2023 Fall Conference Top 10 Congratulations to these Best of FLANC presenters, voted by YOU at our 2023 Fall Conference!
Bethanie Drew - Less Stress, More Joy: low prep games that work Thomas Soth - The benefits of “chistes” are no joke Lisa Bartels - Authentic Vocabulary Instruction Aimee Falk & Victoria Schmoyer - Games and Things for When You Just Can’t Even Dayna Brower - Teacher Self-Care Christen Campbell - From Content to Context: Grammar & Vocabulary in the Proficiency-Based Classroom Donna Podgorny & Marcela Marambio - KEEP CALM and HAVE THE STUDENTS TALK! Radwa Ahmed & Ayoko Amoussou - Effective Strategies for PLC Meetings Leslie Baldwin - I Beg to Differ: Differentiation in the World Language Classroom Maria Rodriguez & Rachel Breazeale - Enhancing World Language Learning with ChatGPT: Creating Activities, Lessons, Rubrics, & More |
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2023 FLANC Awards |
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2023 FLANC Teacher of the Year was awarded to Lisa Bartels, French & Spanish Teacher at Dillard Drive Magnet Middle School, Wake County Public Schools. The FLANC Honorary Life award was presented to Delynda Ramirez-Carter, Director of Co-Curricular and Academic Achievement for Wake County Public Schools. The Fran Hoch Friend of FLANC award was given to Visit Winston Salem in recognition of their 20 years of partnership and support for our organization. |
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Alondra Vivero Torres, FLANC 2023 Jane Mitchell-Manolita Buck Scholarship Recipient |
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FLANC is excited and proud to announce Alondra Vivero Torres from East Carolina University as this year’s recipient of the Jane Mitchell-Manolita Buck Scholarship. Established in 1996 in honor of two visionary North Carolina language educators, the scholarship awards $1000 to a student entering their final year of study in a program leading to teacher licensure in a world language in North Carolina. As Alondra wrote in her scholarship application, “learning [another language] allows us to enrich our lives, experience new ideas, exercise our minds, and benefit from global cultural diversity. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing the student participate, make an effort, contribute their personal experiences, and achieve their goals.” Alondra plans to teach Spanish at a public high school and has special interest in teaching Spanish heritage courses. Congratulations, Alondra! |
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Each year, FLANC also awards mini-grants for projects or resources that promote language learning in North Carolina. This year, two FLANC members have received mini-grants. Annie Jin, who teaches Mandarin at Forsyth Country Day School, will purchase a resource that provides pedagogical strategies and formative and summative assessments to enhance and monitor student progress. Dawn Young, who teaches French at East Mecklenburg High School, will help fund French Immersion Day (including authentic games, dance, song, food, and trivia) at her school as part of National French Week in November 2024. Congratulations to Annie and Dawn! |
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SAVE THE DATE for Spring Conference! December is here and it seems like forever since we were all together in Winston-Salem to share our passion for world languages. No need to be sad or lost in happy memories, the FLANC SPRING Conference is quickly approaching. This year’s in-person conference will::
Conference registration will open in mid to late December. Visit the Spring 2024 Conference page for all updates and to register. We are looking forward to seeing you there! |
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Fall 2024 Conference We are excited to announce the FLANC Fall 2024 Conference will be in Winston-Salem once more at the Benton Convention Center on October 5-6. This year’s conference theme is “Cultivating for Tomorrow”. We want to highlight the many ways we nourish and grow our world language learners, their proficiency levels, our world language programs, and our world language teachers for the future. Start thinking about what you might want to share.
Proposal submissions will open on Jan 8th, 2024. For questions or more information please contact Jennifer Solis, 1st Vice President and Program Chair (Fall 2024) at 1vp@flanc.org |
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Benton Convention Center Exhibit Hall, 2023 Fall Conference |
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In an effort to help address the teacher shortage crisis in our state, FLANC invites you to participate in our Project CAFÉ by nominating students who demonstrate an early aptitude and enthusiasm for teaching with the goal of helping them find a way into the world language teaching profession. For more information about the program and how to get involved, visit the Project Café page on our website. Nominations must be received by February 9, 2024. |
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I Encuentro Práctico de Español L2 en Carolina del Norte (EPE NC)! Join fellow Spanish instructors on February 9-10, 2024, at Davidson College for an in-person event focused on inclusive classroom practices. Organized by Davidson College, Duke University, and Klett World Languages, this conference promises actionable insights and networking opportunities. Visit the EPE-NC event website for more information. |
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Applications are now open for Fulbright Teacher Exchanges taking place in 2024-2025! Apply by February 19, 2024 for Fulbright Teacher Exchanges taking place in 2024-2025! Head to our the Fulbright Teacher exchanges website to learn more about the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program, and the Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program and to determine which might be the best fit for your interests and qualifications. |
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UNC System Minimum Admission Requirements ChangesThe University of North Carolina (UNC) System has Minimum Admissions Requirements (MAR) for all 16 universities, including high school-level coursework that encompasses:
*These additional academic courses should be selected in alignment with a student's academic and career objectives. Completion of two sequential World Language courses is recommended.
The UNC System Board of Governors recently voted to expand the last component of the MAR, which impacts World Languages. Prior to this year, students applying for first-time (freshman) admission to constituent institutions fulfilled this requirement with two courses of a language other than English. Going forward, students applying for first-time admission to a UNC System campus after the Spring 2024 semester will still be required to have two additional academic courses, but they can come from any of the six areas listed.
Please see pages 2 - 3 in the Counselor's Corner newsletter from the UNC System for NC High School Counselors for the guidance given about this change:
Also, there are universities that require two or more courses in World Languages for admission in North Carolina, as well as in nearby states and across the country.
Students are always encouraged to pursue a challenging and rigorous high school curriculum, aligned with their academic and career objectives, in order to be competitive in postsecondary educational opportunities and the workforce. |
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Registration is now open for the 2024 Virtual Language Advocacy Days to be held February 27-28. This year, attendees will explore the theme "Empowering Multilingualism & Global Engagement" while building relationships with members of Congress and meeting to discuss the most pressing issues facing language programs, educators, and professionals across the nation. Visit the link above for schedule and registration information. |
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On October 16, 2023, FLANC was represented at the first JNCL-NCLIS Advocacy Action Day by Helga Fasciano, Executive Director. There were congressional updates and the focus was on advocating for the World Leap Act (H.R. 5603) Legislation and asking legislators to become members of the World Languages Caucus. Helga was able to visit with Rep. Deborah Ross office staff and Senator Tom Tillis office staff and the information was well received in both offices. Below is the JNCL summary report of the event |
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Submit an article to the Catalyst Do you have news to share or something to celebrate? We welcome articles from members at any time! For information about how to submit information to be included in the Catalyst, visit the newsletter page.
We are excited to announce our new look for the newsletter using our new software. We hope that everything works as we expect it to, but please let us know at editor@flanc.org if you encounter any issues. Thank you! |
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