School Partners

How the Bilingual Village Works with School/Educational Institution Partners

Through the Bilingual Village website or app, PK-12, college, university, and adult education instructors and other school/institution personnel who are interested in participating in Bilingual Village activities with their students can apply to be a school partner. Before applying, it’s a good idea to read the Teacher’s Handbook to get an overview of the options, support, and resources.

Once they complete the application, school partners can contact Bilingual Village leaders at info@bilingualvillage.org to plan for their selected options:

School to Community (STC) Bilingual Village Activities

Class or Small Group Field Trip to Community Partner Establishment
Family/Student Visit to Community Partner Establishment

Some new School Partners are located in an area that already has Community Partner establishments, so they can begin preparing their classes for class field trips and family visits.

If the new School Partner has no Community Partner Establishments nearby, the Bilingual Village leaders will share resources for contacting local businesses, agencies, and organizations to recruit Community Partners.

Community to School (CTS) Activities

Bilingual Speaker’s Bureau Presentation–In-person or on Zoom

For in-person or Zoom Speaker’s Bureau presentations and discussions, School Partners review the options for topics and language(s) and request their chosen session through the Bilingual Village app.

How to Become a School Partner

Schools can become Bilingual Village partners through completing an online application.

Online Application

How to Prepare for and Conduct Bilingual Village Activities

School to Community Activities

To prepare for a field trip or individual visit to Bilingual Village Community Partner establishments, school/institution instructors:

access lesson plans and student materials that support excursions on the Bilingual Village website.
lead students in rehearsing appropriate language and in role-playing the excursion activities in class before taking a class field trip or sending students to visit Community Partner establishments.

To follow up on a field trip or individual visit, school/institution instructors:

celebrate and debrief what students learned about using their new language in the community.
consider composing a class thank you note to the Community Partner.

Community to School Activities

To prepare for an in-person or Zoom presentation by and conversation with a Bilingual Village Speakers Bureau volunteer, school/institution instructors:

confirm the date, time, and presentation mode (in person or online) with the presenter.
make sure to have appropriate technology and connectivity in place for online sessions.
prepare and rehearse asking questions with the class. A lesson plan for writing good questions and asking questions and follow-up questions is provided in the School Partner resources.