Happy FLAMtine's Day

RECOGNIZE THE AWESOMENESS IN YOUR COLLEAGUES 2017 FLAM Awards nominations are underway! With so many wonderful teachers, administrators and supporters of world languages throughout Missouri we would love to honor them for their efforts. Nomination DEADLINE IS MARCH 1st. Don't procrastinate, nominate a deserving colleague today! CLICK HERE for nomination forms.

Award recipients will be acknowledged at the 2017 FLAM conference in St. Charles October 27th & 28th. Plan now to attend!

FREE MONEY!

Looking for funding? Write a FLAM grant! Applications for 2017 FLAM grants are being accepted now through March 1st. Two successful applicants will receive a maximum of up to $1,000 in grant funding from FLAM for innovative classroom projects, supplies, realia, special classroom materials, travel, meals, lodging, and conference registration/admission fees.

Want to know a secret? On average, FLAM receives fewer than 5 grant applications per year. So if you're capable of writing a quality grant application, there's a good chance your application will be approved.

CLICK HERE for a grant application.

FLAM POSTER/ESSAY CONTEST Submissions for the FLAM poster and essay contest are being accepted now through March 1st. This would be an easy activity for your students to do with a sub. Feel free to use our FLAMtastic sub plan today. CLICK HERE to access our FLAMtastic sub plan.

FLAM GOES TO WASHINGTON

This week, FLAM Secretary, Jeffrey Karr and I will be headed to Washington D.C. to participate in the 2017 JNCL-NCLIS advocacy days. This is an annual meeting of language organizations from across the country coming together to meet, lobby for, and discuss pressing issues regarding U.S. language and education policy.

Over the past few weeks, Jeffrey and I have been scheduling meetings with several key politicians to ensure that your concerns about the importance of language education are heard. Jeffrey and I will be having coffee with Sen. Claire McCaskill on Thursday morning and then head across the street to meet with Sen Roy Blunt's office. Later that morning, Jeffrey will be meeting with the U.S. Dept. of Ed's Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) to discuss the need to expand bilingual education in Missouri. I will be meeting with the U.S. Dept. of Ed's International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office to discuss the need for continued development of PK-16 language programs throughout Missouri. We'll wrap up the day by meeting with Congressman Billy Long (7th District) to share our advocacy message.

Looking forward to providing you with a full report when we return. In the meantime, CLICK HERE FOR A COOL INFOGRAPHIC we've put together about why Missouri needs languages. Feel free to use it in your advocacy efforts!

FLAM 2017 CIA: CULTURE IN ACTION! The 2017 FLAM conference will be held October 27-28 at the Embassy Suites & St. Charles Convention in St. Charles, MO. The 2017 conference theme will be CIA: Culture in Action! Mark you calendar and plan to join us in historic St. Charles.