K-12 Outreach

Teacher Training and Language Resource Development Program

In 2006, CLACS partnered up with the Spanish Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center (SBETAC), a program administered by The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education. METRO Center works to enhance the knowledge and competency of educators, parents, and community members in order to implement and sustain instructional programs of high standards for Spanish language students, ESL students and students attending bilingual educational programs.

Since the inception of our collaboration, CLACS has helped organize - in conjunction with ILAS at Columbia University -  SBETAC Spanish Language and Literature Series that bring educators in contact with scholars, specialists and literary authors whose works are then adapted for use in the classroom. The series offer workshops on methodology, curriculum development and strategies that enhance the teacher’s ability to engage the students with the classroom materials. Experts from various relevant fields are invited as guest speakers. Each event regularly hosts approximately 100 K-12 teachers from the New York Metropolitan area. The series has received an overwhelmingly positive feedback from the past participants, and CLACS is proud to have been able to facilitate this important endeavor.

This collaborative arrangement also extends beyond the classroom. Recent collaborations with NY Times and the Museum of Modern Art provide K-12 teachers with online resources and innovative tools to bring Latin American current events and the arts into the classroom.

For listing of past and future events, please visit the events calendar.

Collaboration with NYC Schools

In 2008, PS 163 established a pilot Dual Language Kindergarten Program in which the instruction is conducted in both English and Spanish languages.  The composition of the student body is balanced, with half of the students coming from English-speaking households and the other half from homes where predominantly Spanish is spoken. Building on studies that have shown that students enrolled in dual language programs achieve academically as well as or better than those in English only classes, PS 163’s approach ensures that their students - in addition to acquiring proficiency in both languages -  develop cross-cultural attitudes, behaviors and skills that will help them function in a global society.

In order to successfully implement the program, PS 163 had a need for a teaching assistant that would aid with the Spanish language instruction. CLACS has developed an innovative graduate student internship program, drawing on Master's students in CLACS as well as Master's students in the International Education program of the Steinhardt School of Education. Interns will be placed in dual language classrooms and assist teachers in reading, writing exercises, as well as science and math projects.