Tch Talks 26: Creating a Sense of Belongingness with an Academy for Newcomers

What's possible for newcomer education?

And how can we accelerate language learning, affirm students' identities, and help them get on track to graduation and post-secondary opportunities, while creating a learning community of high supports and high expectations?

ENLACE, a program for ninth and tenth grade newcomer students at Lawrence High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, is working hard to answer these questions. On this episode of Tch Talks, Allison Balter, founding principal of ENLACE, shares her story of getting ENLACE started two years ago and what she’s learned from this experience so far. She talks about how teachers at ENLACE work towards supporting students’ learning of both content and language simultaneously. Allison also describes how ENLACE helps students feel a sense of belonging when they are physically so far away from their home countries. Listen in to find out more.

Podcast

Allison Balter, founding Principal of ENLACE Academy, has worked in education for 10 years and has been a teacher and school leader working with English Language Learners in elementary, middle, and high school for the past seven. She also served as the ELL Director for a network of turnaround schools in Massachusetts. She is inspired every day by the students and families she works with and the phenomenal team of educators at ENLACE.

 Resources

• ENLACE Videos on Tch

• ELL Deep Dive

• Lawrence Public Schools website

• Follow ENLACE on Twitter: @ENLACE_Lawrence