North Valley Fiesta Hispana Photos

Our first Fiesta Hispana was a huge success and we plan to hold another in Sept. 2009.
We made many new friends, many of whom we continue to communicate through our weekly and monthly conversation gatherings. Here are some photos of our Fiesta event. You will see how much fun we had with the Latin dance instructions!

SLO newsletter from WJ - November issue

Does everyone receive the free bi-monthly electronic publication produced by WebJunction, Spanish Language Outreach Program Update? To subscribe, go to http://webjunction.org/slo-update and enter your email address in the subscription box. You can also find current and past issues at: http://webjunction.org/slo-update.

Below is information from the latest issue including details about a December 9th webinar on bilingual learners, templates of training materials used in Oklahoma for Spanish-speaking patrons, and a few facts from WJ's upcoming final report to the Gates Foundation.

Spanish Language Outreach Update
November 2008

Upcoming Webinar: Libraries and the Bilingual Child Increasingly, public policy dictates that learning instruction for all bilingual learners be conducted in English. Yet 10.4 million children or 20% of all students ages 5-17 speak a Language Other Than English (LOTE) at home. How can librarians honor and respect parents' efforts to keep the home language alive while their child acquires a second language, and why does this matter? Join us for an informative webinar on this topic presented by Latino Children's Literacy Consultant, Oralia Garza de Cortes. Ms. Cortez is a leading voice for bilingual and multicultural children's literature and literacy, as well as for quality library services for Latino children and families. Webinar participants will gain an understanding of what the research says about how children acquire a second language. Additionally, we will explore ways that libraries can support the bilingual child and his/her family through programs and services that best meet their needs during this critical learning process. Webinar Details: December 9th, 12:00 - 1:00 PM Central Time Register here: http://evanced.info/webjunction/evanced/eventsignup.asp?ID=1545

Featured Resource Siga Adelante: As part of WebJunction's Spanish Language Outreach Program the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) created a series of workshops for Spanish-speaking patrons. Templates (http://www.webjunction.org/spanish-info-for-patrons/articles/content/453419) for all the workshop topics (health, citizenship, family literacy, employment, finance, and community/culture)are now available on WebJunction. For more information about Siga Adelante view the archive (http://www.webjunction.org/slo-webinars/articles/content/455205) of the February 2007 webinar about the project.

Spanish Language Outreach Program Impact and Future: The workshop delivery phase of the Spanish Language Outreach (SLO) Program is nearing its official end date. Over the next eighteen months, WebJunction plans to nuture and build the SLO Online Community of Practice (http://www.webjunction.org/slo) on WebJunction. We are currently writing the final evaluation report detailing the outcomes and impact of SLO program - a three year grant program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to train library staff across the country to do better outreach to Spanish speakers. The full evaluation report will be available next month. Here is a sneak preview of some of highlights:
* 79% of workshop participants indicated they have implemented new outreach activities or plan to do so in the next six months.
* 5,472 library staff members trained.
* 376 workshops delivered in 36 states across the country
* 158 trainers and coordinators participated in the project and can now serve as subject matter experts in their states.