We have been made aware of some dialog on one of the community-based social media groups about our Introduction to Mid-Eastern Culture and Language elective course at the Middle School. 

 

This is a one-year opportunity for our current Grade 6 students that was made possible through a highly competitive federal grant funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Only 23 grants were awarded nationwide. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for our students to expand their global citizenship and gain an authentic cultural awareness of a part of the world that has become increasingly vital in current affairs and business transactions. 

 

Arabic is currently the fifth most spoken language in the world, and is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. According to the 2015 World Almanac, there are more than 237 million speakers of Arabic in the world, while other sources estimate that there are as many as 455 million.

 

Please take a moment to read through the fact sheet that was provided to parents of the students about the program. Also provided is the press release about the program from the American Councils for International Education.