Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy
615-576-0339
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PO Box 60091
Nashville, TN 37206
Organization Details

Programs

Budget
$25,000.00
Description
A statewide two-day series of professional learning and collaboration in middle Tennessee, being planned for up to 250 educators in the Summer of 2023. Additional details will be shared on our website.
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Adults
Program Areas Served
Tennessee, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, Nashville, TN
Budget
$20,000.00
Description
The annual Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy Award program provides collaborating schools and districts across Tennessee with training and support, program materials, medals, diploma seals, and more to fully and easily implement a Seal of Biliteracy award program at their site(s) and to encourage life long language learning, from pre-school through post-secondary. We provide personalized training and support to allow schools to organize and implement an award program that is both meaningful and impactful for the students and communities they serve, as well as the documents, medals, and diploma seals needed to award the Seal of Biliteracy in Tennessee. Currently, we offer a middle grades, high school, and postsecondary award and will offer an elementary award in coming years.
Category
Education  - Elementary & Secondary Education 
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Immigrant, Newcomers, Refugees
Long-term Success
More than 1200 students across Tennessee have received the award since 2019 and we aim to ensure that all Tennessee students have access to the award program by advocating, educating, and training educators and leaders to implement the award program at the schools, as well as provide all needed materials for a successful award program.
Program Success Monitored By
Number of recipients each year;
Number of participating sites;
Number of sites that continue offering the award across academic years;
Number of languages the award is received in
Program Areas Served
Tennessee High Schools, East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, ,Title 1 Schools, English Language Learners, World Language Education
Budget
$3,000.00
Description
The Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy Scholarship Award program is a competitive one-time scholarship award open to each year's recipients. Beginning in Spring 2020, we have awarded 1 $500 and 1 $1,000 award to exceptional Tennessee graduates. Student applications include an essay and personal statement, which are assessed by a panel of community leaders from a variety of nonprofit, educational, and community organizations.
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
K-12 (5-19 years)
Long-term Success
The Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy Scholarship Award currently provides multiple one-time scholarships each year to exceptional Seal of Biliteracy recipients. We seek to continue and expand our Scholarship offerings over the next five years and hope to offer 1. multiple scholarship awards and/or 2. multi-year scholarship awards to exceptional award recipients each year, determined by grant, community, and individual donations to this fund.
Program Success Monitored By
Documentation of the Scholarship Award application and selection process;
Documentation of receipt of funds from Post-Secondary institutions
Program Areas Served
Tennessee High Schools, Post-Secondary, Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee, West Tennessee, English Language Learners, World Language Education
Budget
$7,500.00
Description
The Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy seeks to close the gaps in awareness, funding, and equity that inhibit the growth of the award program in Tennessee. Our Equitable Testing Support fund allows us to provide World Language testing in more than 25 languages for students at participating Title I schools, with both remote and in-person testing options available. Additionally, we provide assessments for students who do not currently have the opportunity to take advanced coursework in their home langauage at school. We have purchased more than 200 assessments in ten languages for students across the state and had a more than 85% pass rate for the Seal of Biliteracy criteria in 2022.
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
K-12 (5-19 years)
Long-term Success
Through our support of World Language testing for Title I schools, we are able to offer the award in more than 25 languages at schools where world and heritage language assessments may not be available in each student's World Language. Enhancing equity in the availability and pathways to the award are key to our work in Tennessee and growth of our award program, and testing support is a vital part of honoring and recognizing all eligible students in our state.
Program Success Monitored By
Number of tests provided;
Number of participating schools;
Student scores on assessments and success in meeting award criteria;
Number of languages the award is received in
Program Areas Served
Tennessee High Schools, Title I Schools, Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee, West Tennessee, English Language Learners, World Language Education