A $20,000 grant from TCU’s Strategic Initiatives Fund (SIF) program will allow 260 Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) employees to learn simple phrases in free, Command Spanish® classes, conducted by TCU's Extended Education.

The classes that began Jan. 11, 2006, filled within the first two hours of enrollment. More than 140 employees are on the waiting list for classes that will be held throughout the rest of the year.

The targeted coursework emphasizes job-specific and conversational Spanish rather than grammar, said Julie Lovett, TCU assistant director for Extended Education.

For example, teachers will learn how to say, “Do you understand your assignment?” as well as basic conversational phrases like “How are you?”

Administrators, teachers, counselors, office workers, maintenance workers and other FWISD employees, who complete the 13 training classes, will interact and communicate more effectively with Spanish-speaking students, parents and visitors. In addition, TCU students are also participating with the classes, allowing them the opportunity to, not only learn conversational Spanish, but to interact with FWISD personnel.

According to a Dallas Morning News article, Margaret Balandran, executive director of the bilingual/English as a second language program for the district, said, “To be more inviting to parents at school, it’s important to have someone on site to speak to them in their language. It really does facilitate an environment where students and their families feel more welcome.”

Twenty-five percent of all students enrolled in FWISD are bilingual/ESL, according to the district profile.

"TCU Extended Education Command Spanish courses have been offered for three years," Lovett said. "The grant used to fund the Command Spanish classes for FWISD is one of 26 projects awarded as part of the $1.8 million SIF program."

TCU faculty and staff developed the projects, and an eight-member committee chose to fund 26 from 50 applications. The committee appointed by Chancellor Victor J. Boschini selected projects that advanced the five goals outlined in TCU’s Vision in Action (VIA) strategic plan. Specifically, the Command Spanish® project helps TCU “accelerate our connection with the greater community: Fort Worth, Texas, the nation and the world,” according to the VIA plan and FWISD grant application.

For more information on TCU's Extended Education, visit www.lifelong.tcu.edu.

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