Congressman Cohen Announces $234,957 for Memphis City Schools Foreign Languages Program

“I am very pleased that the Department of Education has awarded these funds to the Memphis City Schools system to improve our children’s foreign languages curricula,” said Congressman Cohen. “Technological innovation has made it possible for people around the world to communicate with one another across vast distances with the click of a mouse. The ability to speak another language has become a high-value commodity, and I hope that students in the 9th District take the opportunity to participate in these new programs and develop the skills that will guarantee them access to a quality higher education and good jobs in the future.”

This project addresses a pressing need to engage large numbers of minority students in the study of critical languages by introducing and expanding on current MCS language program offerings in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. The goal of this program is to provide quality instruction for these languages and to improve student proficiency. In the coming years, thanks to this funding, the following critical language courses will be offered in Memphis City Schools: Arabic at Whitehaven High, Havenview Middle, and Whitehaven Elementary; Chinese at Ridgeway High and Ridgeway Elementary; Japanese at White Station High, White Station Middle and Richland Elementary; and Russian at Peabody Elementary.

“Foreign language education is clearly in the public and national interest,” Congressman Cohen added. “Knowledge of other languages increases intellectual abilities in other areas and provides a window to other cultures. I commend the Department of Education for their foresight and leadership in this area, and I thank them on behalf of the students in the 9th District who will undoubtedly benefit from these new programs.”

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265