The Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund (AFLEF) at Adirondack Foundation has awarded $53,329 in grants to 21 classrooms across the Adirondack region.

AFLEF awards grants annually to support innovation in French and Spanish classrooms and elevate the status of language educators in the teaching community. This year, funding supported everything from cultural immersion trips to professional development opportunities for teachers.

“My parents started this fund in 2012 because they believe that language is the most powerful tool for connection,” said Mark Luthringshauser, a member of the AFLEF selection committee. “In a world that can feel increasingly divided, foreign language education offers students a unique opportunity to build understanding, appreciate and embrace diversity, and develop skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Our family is passionate about creating opportunities for Adirondack students to explore new ways of thinking and communicating.”

This year, AFLEF grants are helping send middle school students from Saranac Central School District to Montreal. In addition to being exposed to a variety of cultures and languages, the students will learn technology, communication and presentation skills by preparing “live” reports to share with elementary school students.

“Our rural students have limited access to diverse cultures that their peers in urban and suburban areas have,” said Brittany Trybendis, Director of Data, Curriculum, Grants and Funding at Saranac Central School District. “Foreign language courses bridge these gaps by providing education in not only learning a new language, but cultural education.”

Schroon Lake Central School District received funding for a Latin dance performance and workshop for K-12 students. The annual visit from Tango Fusion creates a sense of community and a better understanding of Hispanic culture outside the Spanish classroom.

“Elementary students look forward to it every year and are even learning some Spanish words this year so they will be able to practice their Spanish on the dancers,” said Autumn Carey, a Spanish teacher at Schroon Lake Central School. “While they may not hear or see Hispanic culture much outside of the school walls, they can speak, practice, and experience it among their peers. My hope is that, if they are given the opportunity to travel or use Spanish outside of school or after they graduate, they feel confident enough to do so and jump on the opportunity.”

Schools and school districts that received AFLEF grants this year include AuSable Valley, Beekmantown, Boquet Valley, Indian Lake, Keene, Lake George, Lake Placid, Lake Pleasant, Little Peaks, Malone, Remsen, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Schroon Lake, St. Agnes School, Ticonderoga, and Tupper Lake.

To learn more about the Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund at Adirondack Foundation, contact Leslee Mounger at leslee.mounger@adkfoundation.org.

For more information about Adirondack Foundation, visit adirondackfoundation.org.