News and Happenings
Our work with the Marshallese community in Arkansas continues!
Thanks to the support and funding from the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Marshallese Interpreting for Community Inclusion (MICI) keeps shining. SeSo, Inc. continues to collaborate with Partners for Inclusive Communities and the Marshallese Educational Initiative (MEI) in Northwest Arkansas to reduce communication barriers in accessing disability support and services in the Arkansas Marshallese community. SeSo, Inc. and its partners developed a culturally-appropriate curriculum to train bilingual Marshallese community members on the ethics and protocols of interpretation in health and education settings. Over the years, our participants have developed and expanded on a glossary of Marshallese terms to include disability, insurance, worker safety and special education vocabulary to help interpreters in Arkansas and other states. Over 12,000 Marshallese residents live in Northwest Arkansas, the largest concentration in the continental United States. Thanks to our collaboration and our knowledgeable partners, the Marshallese community in Arkansas is more informed and has access to qualified interpreters to strengthen linguistic and cultural bridges.
A new cohort of interpreters in education trained.
After three long years and due to the pandemic, SeSo, Inc. was finally able to deliver the Arkansas Bilingual Interpreter Credential in Education (ABICE) 40-hour course in person! This interpreter credential training was piloted in 2018 and, as it pivoted to a virtual format, expanded to include virtual remote interpretation techniques and procedures. Participants who complete this course successfully receive a credential endorsed by the Arkansas Department of Education and the Arkansas Department of Human Services' Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education. The ABICE program provided the inspiration to what is now the National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages (NAETISL)!
Another team of school-based interpreters trained.
DeKalb County School District welcomed us for the second part of our Foundational training for spoken language interpreters in education. Our first session of this training took place in March with an overview of our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, note-taking techniques, and glossary development with vocabulary related to special education, attendance and disciplinary tribunals. Our second session was designed to apply all these concepts by practicing role plays and obtaining immediate feedback and coaching on interpretation skills and procedures. Interpreters who speak over 11 languages were present and received valuable resources to support their work.
Learning the foundations of document translation in education.
Three additional teams of school-based translators in South Carolina received practical tools and techniques to provide accurate and complete written information to emergent bilingual families in their districts. They received tips to expand their general and special education terminology, techniques to establish efficient workflows and resources to continue growing as translators. We look forward to working with additional teams this school year!
Our translators and interpreters are hard at work.
Our team of translators and interpreters in education have been working diligently to support school districts throughout the nation with vital documents in over 16 languages, and live/virtual interpretation services during Open House, registration events, and special education assessments taking place during the summer. Our work has an immediate impact on the trust and family engagement that leads to student achievement and we are grateful to the school districts that have added us to their list of trusted language services providers.
Congratulations to a new cohort of professional interpreters in education.
A team of school-based interpreters is close to completing all the requirements to receive their Professional Interpreter in Education Certificate. This group of dedicated professionals have participated in engaging activities to develop their glossaries, analyze ethical dilemmas, expand their special education terminology, and practice their consecutive/simultaneous interpretation skills.