The Online Collection of National Heritage Language Program Profiles

Spanish Language Programs

Community Based:

Spanish
El Círculo Juvenil de Cultura
Pittsburgh, PA

El Círculo is a project-based approach to heritage language education and addresses multi-level and multi-age needs by integrating language and culture. The program taps into the human resources available on the Carnegie Mellon campus and from the greater community. At the end of a 10-week cycle, participants in each workshop present their final product; for example, a play written by the children, a video production project, or song and poetry recitals.

Spanish
Escuela Bolivia
Arlington, VA

This program is a Saturday academy focused on developing the Spanish language skills of both heritage language speakers and non-native speakers of Spanish, from pre-school through 12th grade. The curriculum is aimed at getting students acquainted with Bolivian heritage and incorporates history, geography, literature, arts, music, and dance. The program also offers English classes to adults.

Spanish
Nuestra Lengua
Fairfax, VA

Spanish for Young Heritage Speakers: Nuestra Lengua, is a program sponsored by George Mason University that focuses on heritage learners of Spanish. The program, founded in September 2005, is designed to enhance children’s literacy skills and oral fluency in Spanish and build pride in their heritage language and culture. The program seeks to build intergenerational and community bonds by creating dialogue with family and community-based partners. Parents are encouraged to use the Nuestra Lengua program as a stepping stone to larger social advocacy, including in mainstream school units like the PTA and organizations in the community like the Tenants and Workers’ United organization.

Spanish
Programa de Alfabetización Hispano/Latino
Washington, DC

The program’s mission is to teach non-literate Spanish-speaking immigrant adults to read and write in their native language, as well as other basic skills, so that they can achieve functional literacy. Indirect goals include facilitating their later acquisition of English and the preservation of the Spanish language among younger bilingual generations.

PreK-12 and Adults:

Korean and Spanish
Granada Hills Charter High School
Granada Hills, CA

This is a series of special classes in the Foreign Language Department of Granada Hill Charter High School for heritage speakers of Korean and Spanish. The program focuses on developing the written and oral proficiencies of these speakers and fosters a strong sense of pride in their cultural background.

Spanish
Beardstown Dual Language Enrichment Program
Beardstown, IL

Beardstown Dual Language Enrichment Program promotes additive bilingualism, biliteracy in Spanish and English, and multiculturalism for all students including heritage language learners. We strive to help graduates of Beardstown High School be well equipped to participate in the multi-lingual life of Beardstown and be successful in their chosen careers in an increasing global society.

Spanish
Bellevue School District
Bellevue, WA

The program focuses on developing the proficiency of Spanish heritage language speakers in both Spanish and English. The program strives to prepare students for the Spanish Advanced Placement (AP) examination and further language learning on a university level.

Spanish
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Raleigh, NC

This program seeks to provide language learning opportunities for heritage Spanish speakers that would not be readily available to them in the normal course of study. Students are encouraged to perfect their Spanish speaking abilities and their personal knowledge of Hispanic culture and heritage.

Spanish
Creekside High School
Fairburn, Georgia

Creekside High School heritage Spanish language program was funded in August 2007. The program aims to improve the overall communication skills of heritage speakers as well as to expand their awareness and cultural connections with their countries of origin.

Spanish
Español para Hispanohablantes
Egg Harbor Township, NJ

This is an academic Spanish course that is intended for heritage speakers of Spanish who have traditionally been placed in a Spanish 1 foreign language course.

Spanish
Gateway Charter High School
San Francisco, CA

This program teaches heritage Spanish high school speakers on an advanced university language curriculum. The course of study includes various topics and examples of Hispanic literature and culture.

Spanish
Heritage Language Literacy Club
Fairfax, VA

The Heritage Language Literacy Club (HLLC) provides literacy instruction after school for students in grades 1-5, while providing community service opportunities and job experience in a supportive environment for tutors in grades 6-12.

Spanish
High School of Science and Technology
Springfield, MA

The program tries to enhance native speakers’ knowledge of the Spanish language and culture. Furthermore, we try to help them become proficient in all aspects of the language to prepare them for taking the Spanish Advanced Placement (AP) exams.

Spanish
Hispanohablantes, Enid Public Schools
Enid, OK

This is a special language track of the Enid Department of Foreign Languages. This class is designed to perfect the Spanish skills of fluent Spanish heritage speakers through an advanced course of study.

Spanish
Literacy Squared
San Diego, CA

This program strives to maintain and improve the Spanish language ability of heritage Spanish speakers and other community members who are not Spanish dominant, as they learn English.

Spanish
Olympic High School
Charlotte, NC

This program meets the education and literacy needs of many Hispanic first-generation immigrants. The program seeks to provide students with opportunities to study Spanish literature and grammar.

Spanish
Omaha Public Schools
Omaha, NE

The goal of the program is to increase the literacy and communication skills of Spanish-speaking students in grades 6-12.

Spanish
Ossining Union Free School District
Ossining, NY

This program seeks to develop written and oral skills of heritage speakers, in grades 6-8.

Spanish
Ottumwa High School
Ottumwa, IA

This program focuses on literacy development for Spanish speaking high school students.

Spanish
Redondo Union High School
Redondo Beach, CA

This course is an integrated language arts program designed to provide native Spanish speaking students with cognitive academic language proficiencies. Students develop the four language skills by participating in communicative activities, which allow the skills to develop naturally within the context of a linguistic and literature-based curriculum.

Spanish
Cross Keys High School Spanish for Native Speakers
Atlanta, GA

Spanish for Native Speakers is a program that builds the linguistic and cultural experiences of Native Spanish Speakers in Atlanta Georgia. The program was established in the fall of 1997. It serves mostly Mexican and Central American students, but also students from Cuba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Students who take Spanish for Native Speaker courses develop a high level of proficiency in Spanish, as well as a strong cultural pride in their culture. Students take Spanish for Native Speakers I and II and improve their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Students become familiar with Spanish and Latin American history, culture, and literature, and can receive university credit if they pass the AP Spanish and Literature tests.

Spanish
Storm Lake High School
Storm Lake, IA

This program seeks to develop heritage Spanish speaker’s Spanish and English skills to a level of fluent bilingualism. Additionally, the program attempts to incorporate other academic subjects into the curriculum, for example science, math, and history.

Spanish
The Literacy Program at Wilcox High School
Santa Clara, CA

The Literacy Program at Wilcox High School provides a heritage language immersion program for heritage and native speakers. The program serves mostly second-generation heritage Spanish speakers and seeks to build and develop students’ academic language.

Spanish
West Windsor-Plainsboro School District
Plainsboro, NJ

This program seeks to develop the Spanish skills of heritage Spanish speakers and strengthen community ties with families. The program also draws on heritage family members to teach various topics related to Spanish culture and language.

Higher Education:

Spanish
Colorado Mountain College
Edwards, CO

The program prepares students to transfer to other universities at the junior level. The primary goal of the program is to develop students’ cultural awareness and proficiency in Spanish literacy.

Spanish
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL

The program seeks to accelerate heritage students’ study through the normal language requirements and into a course of study for the Spanish major. Students who complete the major are expected to be able to speak on a professional level.

Spanish
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA

This program offers a diverse selection of courses for heritage speakers of Spanish. The program seeks to foster bilingualism and motivate students to continue their language study at the graduate level.

Spanish
Purdue University
Lafayette, IN

This program seeks not only to develop the literacy skills of its heritage Spanish students, but also to raise awareness of the different cultural and dialect differences of Spanish in the United States. Additionally, the university offers both undergraduate and graduate levels of Spanish.

Spanish
State University of New York (SUNY)
New Paltz, NY

This program offers advanced literacy courses for heritage Spanish speakers. The aim of the program is to perfect students’ oral and written Spanish skills and promote a global awareness of U.S. Latino and Hispanic culture. The program is offered to any qualifying undergraduate at the university.

Spanish
The Sabine Ulibarrí
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM

The program was founded in the 1950s, by a professor at the university, out of a need for a special language class for bilingual students. The program develops students’ confidence in their ability to speak their different varieties of Spanish.

Spanish
University of Houston
Houston, TX

This program was created to meet the needs of an overwhelmingly growing population of heritage Spanish speakers on the university’s campus. The focus of the program is the acquisition of academic Spanish skills and includes graduate level seminars on heritage language education and research.

Spanish
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL

The university offers one official heritage course of study in Spanish, but also offers several smaller language classes in Polish, Hindi-Urdu, and Arabic. These classes are often populated with heritage speakers and are tailored to meet specific needs.

Spanish
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD

Founded in 1990, the purpose of the Spanish for Heritage Speakers course is to promote the maintenance and revitalization of the language and culture.

Spanish
University of Maryland College Park
College Park, MD

This program focuses on the acquisition of basic grammar and oral skills of heritage Spanish heritage speakers who lack these basic language skills.

Spanish
University of Washington
Seattle, WA

This program is designed to build upon the language base that students have acquired outside of the educational system so that they may attain greater literacy and grammar and writing skills. Additionally, the program will create cultural awareness of the Hispanic World.

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*The Alliance is no longer collecting profiles for higher education programs. Please visit the National Heritage Language Resource Center (NHLRC) at UCLA to find out how you can participate in their survey of college-level heritage language programs.