Friday Morning, Dr. Joan Lachance
Keynote: We’re ALL Teachers for a Bilingual Future: Collaborative Partnerships in Dual Language Education
Dr. Lachance’s inspirational keynote centers on ways for educators to foster and grow dual language programs via collaborative practices. Within her presentation she illustrates pathways for designing and expanding genuine partnerships, empowering schools and communities to co-create dual language programs for the betterment
of ALL students. Her motivational message shines with sincerity, lifting up our voices together to expand multilingualism throughout Washington and beyond. Come join the WABE community while we truly honor multilingualism so that we may bridge our bilingual futures together.
More about Dr. Joan Lachance
Dr. Joan Lachance is an Associate Professor of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she directs the TESL graduate programs and undergraduate TESL Minor. She is the co-author of the National Dual Language Education Teacher Preparation “EMMA” Standards and the Director of the CAEP Specialized Program Association in Dual Language Education called “EMMA: Education for a Multilingual Multicultural America.” Dr. Lachance’s professional learning sessions, tied to her research agenda, are customized to support collaborative dual language teacher preparation/program development, multilingual literacy practices, and authentic assessment with multilingual learners. With the publication of her latest book with Corwin Press, she is focusing her work further to address the crucial, national needs related to collaboration and co-teaching for multilingual learners specifically in the dual language context. Woven into the work, she supports dual language education for the preservation and revitalization of Native American languages, currently and most-honorably collaborating with dual language programs serving the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians [EBCI]. Most recently, Dr. Lachance is part of a collective team awarded a unique NPD Grant titled Project SEMBRAR: Sustaining Equity through Mentorship for Bilingual Teacher Recruitment and Retention. As a member of the core leadership team she will collaborate with Dual Language Education of New Mexico and the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, NE to support dual language teacher preparation. SEMBRAR aims to create pathways to increase the bilingual teacher workforce through targeted mentorship and professional learning. in doing so, Dr. Lachance will collaborate across the nation to more justly serve the growing and vibrant population of multilingual learners so they can reach their potential and thrive. Finally, Dr. Lachance is thrilled to announce she is co-authoring a second edition of the book titled Educating English Learners for a Transformed World by Drs. Virginia Collier and Wayne Thomas to be published early in 2025.
Saturday Morning, Myrna Muñoz
Keynote: Cultivating Community: Strategies for Nurturing Multilingual Futures in K-12 Education
Participants will explore the many research infused strategies known to build community for multilingual, multicultural communities focusing on language acquisition, language creativity and engagement.
More about Myrna Muñoz
Myrna Arely Muñoz Lozano is an anti-racist educational leader committed to building systemic foundations toward affirming and serving all learners, with a focus on prioritizing the needs of culturally, linguistically & neurologically diverse communities. For over 25 years, Myrna has participated in building an understanding of culturally responsive strategies, and building collective capacity for cross-cultural understanding in a variety of PK-Postgraduate settings across the United States. Myrna consistently elevates teams and communities that strive to create accessible, inclusive systems where all students are empowered without limits through affirmation, professional development, and enthusiasm for the work.