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The Washington State Coalition for International Education has been able to continuously build support for international education through its website, email lists, and P-20 International Education Summits. The first two summits, held in 2003 and 2004, attracted hundreds of people from K-12 and higher education, business, and the community at large. In January of 2006, the International Education Leadership Summit: Expanding Chinese Language Capacity in Washington State launched an effort to accelerate the development of Chinese language programs with a goal of having 10% of students in Washington learning Chinese by 2015. Since then, the Coalition and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction have been instrumental in working with the Governor’s Office on preparing a proposal for a Confucius Institute of Washington State.
A state-wide World Languages Survey completed in spring 2004 led to an expanded effort, known as the “Mapping and Enhancing Language Learning” (MELL) project, funded by several Title VI Centers at the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. Working in collaboration with the University of Washington Language Learning Center, World Languages Program at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT), the MELL project has published a series of policy briefs based on data on languages taught in K-12 schools in the state, as well as organizing Washington’s first World Languages Summit: PK-20 Pathways to Language Learning in November, 2008.
In December 2005, thanks to efforts from the International Education Coalition, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction endorsed voluntary standards for world languages for the state, based on the national Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century. Several bills to expand language learning and to help coordinate international education have been introduced and received widespread support in the state legislature in recent years. In 2007, the legislature adopted a new definition of basic education that includes the goal of preparing students to become “responsible and respectful global citizens.” In 2008, for the first time in nearly twenty years, the legislature funded the position of world languages program supervisor at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
After a successful six years as a grassroots organization, the Washington State Coalition for International Education has begun transitioning its advocacy and communications activities to Global Washington, a new non-profit in the state composed of non-profit organizations, foundations, businesses, government and academic institutions, working collectively to build a more equitable and prosperous world. In 2007, Global Washington conducted research to identify the global learning opportunities available at Washington's 19 four-year degree granting colleges and universities. In 2008, the organization helped convene the Global Washington Education Advisory Committee, which developed a set of Global Learning Goals for the state of Washington – now endorsed by the majority of university and college presidents in Washington State. In 2009, Global Washington took over responsibility for funding the international education scholarship provided by the Coalition annually since 2003 to the State Teacher of the Year to expand his/her international experience.
With new state-level leadership in world languages and international education, strong collaborations between K-12 and higher education, and a solid base of support through Global Washington, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Governor, Washington State is poised to become a leader in international education in the U.S.
Contact: Dr. Michele Anciaux Aoki michele.aoki@k12.wa.us.
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