Wisconsin Language Summit
Goals
Wisconsin’s workforce needs to be able to compete in interconnected global markets; participate in meaningful ways in civic life; engage with diverse local communities; and cultivate professional and personal networks that cross linguistic, cultural, and national boundaries. The Wisconsin Language Summit was held to position Wisconsin to better meet these needs for a multilingual workforce by strengthening and promoting language education for all students.
Objectives
The Summit brought together Wisconsin leaders from business and industry, non-profit organizations, K-16 education, state and local government, and Wisconsin communities to:
- Exchange perspectives on the value of languages in national and Wisconsin contexts, focusing on how language skills contribute to the state’s economy and how language education contributes to future workforce development.
- Review the “language landscape” in Wisconsin in terms of current and future multilingual workforce needs, K-16 educational capacities (and major issues and constraints), and community resources, as reported in the pre-Summit assessment.
- Collect stakeholder input on priorities, recommendations, and future directions of language education in Wisconsin for college, career, and community readiness for all students.
- Identify next steps to advance the goals of this project, provide opportunities for additional stakeholder engagement and incorporate recommendations for the Wisconsin Language Roadmap.