1. Facilitate communication among community-based heritage language (HL) schools and organizations in order to:

• Form partnerships with different languages and schools
• Learn from representatives of different language groups and share experiences about best practices in heritage language education
• Articulate the most pressing needs and challenges common to community-based heritage language schools/programs
• Help to unite community-based schools in all languages in the U.S. to be able to lobby for shared needs

2. Increase the visibility of and represent schools/programs to U.S. educators (school districts, U.S. Department of Education), politicians (State Boards of Education, state representatives), researchers, and other stakeholders

3. Develop official statistics on HL teaching and learning by collecting comprehensive data about community-based schools and press for inclusion of these data in official U.S. education statistics

4. Urge for recognition of students’ heritage language proficiency via AP credit, the Seal of Biliteracy, and other teams. Seek ways for students to receive U.S. high school credit for their language skills.

5. Voice the need for financial support and funding for community-based HL schools/programs

6. Provide information and resources on important topics via the website, FaceBook page, forums, briefs, and an annual conference. Topics include how to:

• Start a new community-based school and form a nonprofit organization
• Improve an existing program in a school (including teacher training, teacher retention, increased enrollment, student and parent engagement, effective instruction)
• Reach out to and work together with the local language community
• Collaborate with other schools and organizations focused on the specific language
• Address practical program issues (tax issues, human resources, etc.)