World languages department welcomes visitors from Trinidad and Tobago
色窝窝无码一区二区三区鈥檚 Multilingual Welcome Center gets visitors from all over the world. But it probably hasn鈥檛 received many from Trinidad and Tobago before. Until last Friday.
That鈥檚 when the United States State Department brought a delegation from the Caribbean country to Arlington specifically for a visit and tour of the welcome center.
The Multilingual Welcome Center is exactly as advertised: welcoming. The staff are friendly, and the d茅cor is cheerful. There are toys for kids and snacks and coffee for anyone waiting.
鈥淲e help students who come to this country for the first time,鈥 said Dr. Grace del Valle, 色窝窝无码一区二区三区 world languages coordinator. 鈥淭his is very often the first place they see the U.S. education system. We need to make sure that when they see us, they feel welcome.鈥
That鈥檚 exactly the way they made the delegation from Trinidad and Tobago feel during their visit.
The ten-member delegation hailed from various fields, from a school supervisor to government officials. Most are trying to understand how to accommodate an influx of Venezuelans into their island country.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking for practical ways to integrate migrant students,鈥 said Ayanna Naila Valere Nero, the senior operations manager for the Catholic Education Board of Management in Trinidad and Tobago.
鈥淚鈥檓 here to understand what you do so we can take all the best things to Trinidad and Tobago,鈥 another said to del Valle.
They listened closely as several members of the district鈥檚 world languages team shared how the welcome center and the world languages department help new students and their families adjust to their new schools and life in the U.S.
But how did the Trinbagonians end up in 色窝窝无码一区二区三区鈥檚 Multilingual Welcome Center in the first place?
鈥淭hey [the Dallas/Fort Worth World Affairs Council] emailed me, and at first I thought this was a mistake,鈥 del Valle said.
Del Valle emailed back to make sure she was really the one they meant to contact, and the reply was that 鈥渢he people from Washington wanted you because of your work.鈥
Those people from Washington are from the State Department鈥檚 (IVLP), a professional exchange program. Through short-term exchanges, current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields visit and develop lasting relationships with their American counterparts.
鈥淭he U.S. Department of State and non-profits set up the program,鈥 said Leo Wollenborg, retired from the Foreign Service and now a Washington, D.C.-based State Department contractor assigned to travel with the Trinidad and Tobago delegation. 鈥淭he program goes back to 1940.鈥
In this case, the non-profit partner with the IVLP was the , which set up the Arlington visit.
The delegation started their visit in New York, and after Texas they traveled to Los Angeles.
鈥淲e鈥檝e heard about welcome centers but hadn鈥檛 seen one,鈥 said Anna Meenawatee Singh, the director of curriculum planning and development in Trinidad and Tobago鈥檚 Ministry of Education. 鈥淪o, this was good.鈥
Learn more about 色窝窝无码一区二区三区鈥檚 Multilingual Welcome Center.