1102 North Broadway
Urbana IL 61801
phone: 217-384-3616 fax: 217-384-3615
Multicultural Services
Bilingual Support Services:
Our mission in serving linguistically and culturally diverse populations is to support families in maintaining and developing their home language and culture in order to give linguistically and culturally diverse children equitable opportunities to succeed socially, emotionally, and academically and to enable linguistically and culturally diverse families to participate in the education of their children.
Multicultural Coordinator: Joyce Bezdicek
- Serves as a resource and works collaboratively with school staff in the selection of bilingual and multicultural materials and provides professional reading for staff in the areas of home language, culture, and the acquisition of English as a second language.
- Trains and guides bilingual family coordinators in their work with families and staff in support of home language and culture.
- Facilitates meetings which involve training and discussion of the needs and issues of linguistically and culturally diverse children and families
- Provides guidance to staff in working with families by: supporting the home language; integrating culture into the school setting; communication with parents and parent involvement; culturally appropriate assessment.
- Works as a school and community advocate for linguistically and culturally diverse children and families
Bilingual Family Coordinators:
Tiffani Bui; Vietnamese
Keomany Luenammachack; Lao
Daniel Godoy; Spanish
- Assist with the assessment and screening to determine the eligibility of linguistically and culturally diverse children for the early childhood program.
- Assists linguistically and culturally diverse families with school procedures and policies.
- Works to ensure strong communication between the linguistically and culturally diverse families and the school.
- Work with children in their home language to ensure the growth of home language skills and concepts.
- Provide home language and cultural input to the classroom teacher and school staff.
- Integrate linguistically and culturally diverse children and families into the school setting in a welcoming and positive way.
- Support and educate linguistically and culturally diverse children and families in their use of home language.
- Assist linguistically and culturally diverse children in the growth of concepts and vocabulary in English through the use of home language.