#2BFayetteville

Growing popularity across the nation for its effective way to raise bilingual children, dual language immersion programs are setting the standard for a 21st century global education, according to Restrepo. "Our new multilingual communities in Northwest Arkansas are an asset to develop dual language programs where a classroom of both English speaking and Spanish speaking students will learn together all subjects in both languages starting in kindergarten," Restrepo says. He points to research from the Center for Applied Linguistics, showing that this model works for both groups and even increases English learners' performance. Now that the new law has passed here in Arkansas, it's up to a Northwest Arkansas school districts to take the lead in establishing a dual language immersion program. "With a similar immigrant community arriving in the 2000s, North Carolina was where we are now," Restrepo points out. "They started with one dual language program, now they have more than 200, in eight languages! We can do this here too. But we need a plan." A multilingual workforce is the future Proficiency in other languages and cultures helps students develop a deeper understanding of humanity, for the benefit of all, says Restrepo. "Learning other languages is necessary to understand and work effectively in an increasingly interconnected diverse world," he notes. "But there is more at stake. We need to prepare our students to meet the challenges faced by humanity at large such as global warming, pandemics, forced migrations, war and repressive fundamentalisms. "The fact is that there are educational, cultural and economic benefits of a multilingual workforce that understands that we live in an interconnected world where we can play a leading role for the greater good." That proficiency begins with support for world language education here in Northwest Arkansas. "As a parent, even with training in language education, I struggled to raise bilingual children here in Fayetteville. It is hard without institutional support. I hope that our educational leaders will have the courage to move beyond the English-only mentality that has held our students back," Restrepo says. "I see very promising responses, such as Mr. Clark, who has been a strong supporter of world language education. But we are not there yet." Right now, Restrepo is working with Dr. Sam Eisen, the director of programs of the National Security Educational Program, to create a language road map for Arkansas. Dr. Eisen has also led similar statewide initiatives in Wisconsin, Indiana and Rhode Island. (More about this at https:// spanishroadmap.uark.edu/). "We need a comprehensive K-16 world languages road map to provide our students a real 21st century education in Arkansas. But to make this possible, we need all stakeholders to make it possible—parents, educators, civic and corporate leaders. I hope that Fayetteville can lead the way." Coopetition: A "healthy" approach According to the Northwest Arkansas Council, this area loses more than $950 million a year on people traveling out of the region for healthcare, especially specialty care. Once again, coopetition may provide new solutions. Philanthropist Alice Walton is taking health care services in Northwest The proposed Heartland Advanced Medical Manufacturing Regional Cluster (HAMMRC) is a coopetitive partnership between nine cities in Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. 14

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