Annual Our Kids Summer Institute Focused on Needs of ELLs

July 26, 2011

Four hundred Iowa educators came together for the seventh annual Our Kids Summer Institute in June at Summit Middle School in Johnston. The event focused on meeting the instructional and assessment needs of English language learners (ELLs) in Iowa’s K-12 schools. Attendees were comprised of school administrators from across Iowa who brought teams of teachers in an effort to address ELL achievement in meaningful ways. The two strands attended separate sessions.

Keynote speakers Dr. Kate Kinsella and Dr. Tyrone Howard received high marks from participants for their inspiring and practical contributions related to promoting language development for long-term ELLs and ensuring success for all students through leadership, diversity and equity, respectively.

A cultural component was contributed by the SFEL Choir, a local group of Burundi youth now located in Des Moines. Most of the performers spent much of their lives, if not their entire lives, in refugee camps in Tanzania. Living in Des Moines since 2008, members of the choir shared their culture through impressive song and African dance. This rare event highlighted the culture of some of central Iowa's newest students and families.

During the conference, participants enjoyed a showing of God Grew Tired of Us, a critically acclaimed documentary that chronicles the stories of three “Lost Boys” from Sudan who arrive in the U.S. following years of profound adversity. Following the viewing, Lost Boy Valentino Mathiang, who now lives in Urbandale, bounded to the stage with microphone in hand, belting his rap song entitled  “I Can’t Stop” (Thinking About the War in Sudan…). Following his musical presentation and the story of his boyhood tragedy and survival, conference participants responded with a sustained standing ovation and welcomed him in the reception area with hugs, handshakes and appreciation. Mathiang remarked afterward, “This is the greatest day of my life.”

Other break-out sessions offered during the two full days were presented by Dr. Judith Youngers, Dr. Linda Ventriglia-Navarrette, Dr. Mark Grey, Dr. Shelley Fairbairn, Stephaney Jones-Vo (ESL/Diversity Consultant at Heartland AEA), Dr. Rebecca Freeman-Field, Dr. Jobi Lawrence and Cyndi Danner-Kuhn. Ranging from technology to academic language to differentiating for ELLs, the sessions were planned to support increasing the achievement of all ELLs.

Plans are already moving forward for Our Kids 2012. As Iowa’s ELL population growth continues to outpace the population growth of Iowa’s non-ELL students, the need to provide teachers and administrators with meaningful strategies and information related to ELLs will also continue to grow.  

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Heartland AEA is an intermediate education agency serving 11 counties and 136,000 students in Central Iowa. The Agency is committed every day to helping people grow, develop and learn.