This past week, Rachel Oppenheim, Director of the School of Education, and Debora Oliveira, alumna of the Urban Environmental Education Program, attended a “Celebrating Bilingualism” event hosted by the advocacy organization OneAmerica, the largest immigrant and refugee advocacy organization in Washington State. OneAmerica works to build power within immigrant communities in collaboration with key allies. The event celebrated the organization’s recent report entitled, “Celebrating the Power of Bilingualism,” as well as its 2019 Advocacy Priorities. The School of Education’s Alternative Route to Teacher Certification (ARTC) Program is highlighted in the report.
Both Rachel and Debora actively participate in the advocacy work of OneAmerica. Rachel is a member of the ELL Work Group, a coalition whose charge is to improve schools for English learner students. Debora is a community language organizer and an advocate for the organization’s “Speak Your Language” campaign, which advances positive messages about bilingualism and dual language learning
