In January and March 2022, respectively, Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) exchange teachers Azza Ghazaly, hosted at Seventy-First High School in North Carolina, and Sarah Elgammal, hosted at the Ashford School in Connecticut, received approvals for a grant from Qatar Foundation International (QFI). These grants covered a series of virtual NaTakallam conversation partner sessions for Ms. Ghazaly’s and Ms. Elgammal’s students.

From November 2021 through the beginning of May 2022, Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) Exchange Teacher Azza Ghazaly, hosted at Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, NC, facilitated her “Arabic Hub” capstone project. Ms. Gahazly’s capstone was funded by a Critical Language Project (CLP) grant awarded in Round 22. The project was centered around an Arabic club, in which students learned about Arabic music, calligraphy, food, and more. They also connected virtually with guest speakers and went on a field trip to learn about Ramadan and Eid.

In September 2020, after returning from her Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) exchange year, exchange alumna Wang Xiaoyue (2019-2020) established an after-school English theater class at her school (pictured above). She was inspired by the art and drama classes of her U.S. host school, Beethoven Secondary (Edinburg, TX), and her passion for performing. So far, the class has had three seasons with 12-15 students each; in their current fourth season, attendance is up to a total of 33 students.

From May 5-7, 2022, the 2021-2022 cohort of Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) exchange teachers gathered in Washington, DC to attend the Spring Leadership Workshop. The workshop opened with a welcome dinner hosted at the American Councils office, which featured opening remarks by Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Senior Program Officer Michael Kuban and American Councils Senior Program Officer Zoe Kosoff. Several exchange teachers were also awarded prizes for the annual TCLP video and essay contests.