We hold a conference each year, where program directors and administrators of community-based heritage language schools; members of the language communities involved in these schools; and directors and leaders in public, private, and charter schools who are interested in working with community-based heritage language schools come together to share research and best practices. Please let us know if you would like to receive announcements about future conferences. Write to joy@peytons.us.

Friday and Saturday, October 8 & 9, 2021 We hope for a combination of on-site (at American University in Washington, DC) and virtual presentations. Theme: The Power of Community REGISTRATION will be open in JUNE 2021 Save the date and let your colleagues know!

There will be opportunities to connect and converse with leaders of national language organizations in the United States and other countries, to connect with colleagues working with community-based schools, and participate in workshops on the following topics:

• Promoting Your School and Holding Funding Events
• Working With Parents and Engaging Students
• Using Technology Tools and Platforms in Instruction
• Using Inquiry-based, Problem-based, and Project-based Learning with Diverse Learners
• Guiding Learners Through Pathways to Increased Language Proficiency
• Maximizing Learner Opportunities with Language Proficiency

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Recent Conference:

The 2020 conference was held online October 9 to 10 at American University in Washington, DC. It included informative sessions for school administrators, teachers, and researchers about developing and maintaining a strong community-based program, the possibility of gaining language recognition for students through the Seal of Biliteracy and the Global Seal, project-based learning, differentiating instruction, and outreach strategies and tools for community-based schools. Leaders from U.S. language organizations and from Canada and Australia presented. You can watch the recordings and access the PowerPoint slides and handouts here.

2020 Conference Information

We are grateful to the conference sponsors:

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

• Kazickas Family Foundation, New York City

• Avant Assessment

• National Heritage Language Resource Center (NHLRC)

And partners:

• Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)

• Global Seal of Biliteracy 

• Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL-NCLIS)

• National Foreign Language Center (NFLC)

• Seal of Biliteracy

Information about past conferences at American University in Washington DC can be found here:

• 2019 Conference Website & 2019 Conference Program
• 2018 Conference Website & 2018 Conference Program
• 2017 Conference Website & 2017 Conference Program
• 2016 Conference Website & 2016 Conference Program
• 2015 Conference Website & 2015 Conference Program
• 2014 Conference Program

Photos from previous conferences:

• 2018 Annual Conference