The Ohio Foreign Language Association awarded 2009’s “Non-Educator Friend of Foreign Languages Award” to the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati in recognition of the Foundation’s grant money and planning efforts related to a innovative Hebrew language learning program.
Raymond Walters College, Sycamore High School, and the Jewish Foundation have forged a unique program that allows high school students to take college-level Hebrew courses. Beginning and intermediate Hebrew is offered through theUniversity of Cincinnati.
Students earn high school credit and college credit simultaneously, fulfilling UC’s foreign language requirement or earning credit that will transfer to any university. June marked the end of the two-year pilot; the program will continue under Ohio’s Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEOP).
“We’re so happy that the Jewish Foundation has been honored in this way,” said Debbie Page, chair of Raymond Walters’ Foreign Language Department. The program is a direct result of the Foundation’s interest and dedication.” In their description of the award, OFLA stated that a similar partnership could aid in the teaching of other less-frequently studied languages.
The program benefits everyone involved. Students expand their foreign-language options. The local Jewish community sees their heritage preserved among the next generation. And professional relationships have been forged among Foundation members, local educators, and parents of high schoolers.
The Hebrew program is free of charge to all greater Cincinnati high school students. To find out more about PSEOP through UC, go here.
Writer: Elena Stevenson
Source: University of Cincinnati
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