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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Blanca Anchondo (210) 212-4454 ext. 15 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Choco Leandro (210) 296-9137 (cell) NCLR TO HOLD BILINGUALISM CONFERENCE IN SAN ANTONIO Washington, DC—The Texas Regional Office of NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, will host a conference for early childhood education and K–12 practitioners and experts on October 29–30, 2009 to present various models of bilingualism and encourage more educators to incorporate bilingual practices in their schools. The conference, entitled “Bilingualism: Creating World-Class Learners,” will be held at St. Anthony’s Hotel at 300 E. Travis Street in San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro will open the conference with remarks at 8:15 a.m. and will be followed by Delia Pompa, NCLR Vice President, Education, and Erika Beltran, NCLR Policy Analyst, Education and Children’s Policy Project. This marks the first time that NCLR will hold a conference on bilingualism. Participants will include representatives from schools across the nation and from the San Antonio area, most of whom serve student populations with a high percentage of Latinos. The conference will give teachers and administrators the opportunity to learn from established bilingualism programs and hear presentations about how bicultural and bilingual practices can be initiated in schools. Sponsorship for the conference is provided by Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Marathon Oil Corporation, and the National Education Association (NEA). Participants will hear from Margarita Calderón, Senior Research Scientist and Professor, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Elena Izquierdo, Associate Professor, Teacher Education, University of Texas at El Paso; Aida Walqui, Director, Teacher Professional Development Program, WestEd; and Linda Cabral, Education Manager, English Language Project, NEA, among other speakers. Presentations will be given by representatives from the Cesar Chavez School in Pueblo, Colorado; La Fe Preparatory School in El Paso, Texas; and the International High Schools in Prospect Heights and Lafayette, New York. There are 16 million Latino children in the United States—representing 22% of the total child population—and they are one of the fastest-growing populations in the nation, with projections showing they will compose 31% of all children by 2030. Given these demographics, more schools must consider incorporating bilingual practices to help their students achieve greater academic potential. In San Antonio, all 16 school districts offer bilingual education. Media Advisory
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