Mission
Established in 2014, the mission of CULTR is to enhance the language proficiency, cultural awareness, and professional development for all learners and educators to establish diverse, enriching, and successful career pathways. To drive language education forward in the United States, CULTR leads a significant commitment to enhance the global skills opportunities of urban and underrepresented students.
Through ambitious initiatives and prospects, CULTR grants opportunities for all students to envision, explore, and realize global careers in diplomacy, national security, international business, public health, and the sciences. Looking at home and abroad, global skills, particularly language expertise and cultural competence, serve to engage people, promote understanding, convey respect for other beliefs, and provide an opportunity to learn more about a country and its citizens. Moreover, this comprehensive skill set builds the essential components of a country’s national security, diplomacy, law enforcement, and business competitiveness. As one of the U.S. Department of Education’s sixteen LRCs, CULTR highlights our country’s push to develop and retain a capable and diverse workforce that can advance mutual understanding, effective communication, and powerful relationships.
• Provide in-person professional development opportunities for world language teachers
• Develop and disseminate resources to language teachers on innovative teaching methods and technology
• Develop research-based retention activities and resources for world language teachers
• Research causes of world language teacher attrition
• Provide world language learning opportunities and materials for students
• Provide materials and events to promote world language learning
• Engage with policymakers and other stakeholders on world language-related issues
• Conduct and disseminate new and expand current research projects
• Promote new world language research with Center mini-grants
• Develop collaborations with schools, educational and civic organizations, and other LRCs interested in urban language education
• Develop and disseminate resources for language teachers and students that address the challenges and highlight the opportunities for language learning in urban areas