NYC to Invest $4M in “Language Access For All” Program

NYC to Invest $4M in “Language Access For All” Program

New York City Department of Education Launched the “Language Access For All” Program by making a historic investment of $4 million to improve engagement and communication with multilingual families across the city.

Referring to the breadth of diversity in the region, the Department of Education announced that approximately 40% of families speak a language other than English at home. “This historic investment will help us better support each and every one of our students while strengthening our work with families and communities across New York City.”

The program aims to help students whose primary language is not English at school, and that school staff is equipped with the right tools to support these students.

Furthermore, the city is expanding its localization unit with the investment and will provide Individualized Education Programs (IEP) to families upon request. Families can now request sign language interpretation services by contacting their school as well.

The investment is expected to contribute greatly to the language access capacity of schools and community organizations as part of the “know your rights” campaign.