The Rhode Island Foreign Language Association (RIFLA) held a rally in the State House rotunda on Tuesday as part of their Multilingual Education Advocacy Day highlighting and advocating for Senate Bill 0198, which upon passage would establish and require funding for a world language and dual language immersion program. The legislation would also create a world language and dual-language immersion specialist position at the Rhode Island Department of Education to spearhead this educational effort in our state.

Sadly, the event started with singing from students at the Nathanael Greene Elementary School Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program in Pawtucket and the Henry Barnard School at Rhode Island College (RIC), and I was too late to capture it on video.

Here’s the video:

Elanor Speredelozzi and Nora Flippin, 3rd graders from the South Kingstown Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program:

Alex Fontaine, Katarina Parascandola and Nick Sernberger, Exeter-West Greenwich Jr-Sr High School French Exchange Program student participants:

Sophomores Emma Tavani and Angel Kleiman, from the University of Rhode Island (URI) Chinese Flagship Program students:

Representative Grace Diaz (Democrat, District 11, Providence):

Senator Hanna Gallo (Democrat, District 27, Cranston):

Senator Frank Ciccone (Democrat, District 7, North Providence):

Marlena DeLuca, World Language teacher in Cranston, parent, and founder of New Era Enrichment Academy, a dual language program for pre-school-aged children:

Erin Papa, Ph.D., RIFLA Advocacy Chair and Assistant Professor, Educational Studies and World Languages Education, Rhode Island College:

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See also:

• The case for dual language education in Rhode Island
• Investing in world language and dual language immersion programs for all students can improve educational achievement and cultural understanding in Rhode Island

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