June 16-July 13, 2013

If you are an Ohio high school student, this is an opportunity for you to start on your way to advanced-level proficiency in the critical-need languages of Arabic, Chinese and Russian! Talk to your parents and guidance counselor about this unique opportunity and apply to the Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy at Kent State University!

***High school students living outside the state of Ohio who are interested in attending the summer portion of the Kent State Foreign Language Academy should contact the program director (Dr. Brian Baer) at bbaer@kent.edu for details.

About the FLA:

• The program is intended for students with no prior knowledge of Arabic, Chinese and Russian
• The program is entirely free!!!
• Students can receive up to 5 college credits
• Students live and study together in the Kent State Honors College (Johnson/Stopher Halls)
• Students study in a supportive, culture-rich environment
• Teachers are experienced professionals from local colleges and universities
• Students are provided with a laptop computer and all necessary software for the course of the program
• Students must participate in a follow-up academic year session consisting of distance learning and monthly Saturday sessions
• The academic year session is administered and funded by the Post Secondary Education Option Program (PSEOP).
• Schedule of mandatory Saturday sessions during AY 2013-14: 9/14, 10/12, 11/19, 12/14, 1/18, 2/15, 3/15, 4/12, 5/10.
• 2013 application forms are posted on the program website (fla.mcls.kent.edu). Click on the links in the upper left corner
• Applications are due by April 15, 2013. Application materials postmarked after April 15 will not be considered.
• Successful applicants will be notified by May 1, 2013

FLA Alumni have gone on to study these languages at the Intermediate level at such colleges and universities as Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Oberlin, Kenyon College, Ohio State, University of Texas at Austin, and Kent State. See what FLA Alumni had to say about the Academy:

• The program made me realize how much I love studying languages and it has totally changed my mind about a future career.
• I learned with what methods I learn best. I also learned the vast number of opportunities with foreign languages that I did not know about before and want to take part in.
• I learned that I can be good at languages.
• I learned that I truly can learn languages at a fast rate.
• It's not an easy thing to learn a language, but it's one of the most rewarding and useful things one can do.
• I am prepared for college and have formed good habits and a good attitude about academics. Having lived with my peers, I would say I am more ready than other students my age.
• I think that the academy showed me more of what I can be capable of when pushed to do so.

For more information, visit our website (fla.mcls.kent.edu). Application forms can be downloaded from this site. If you have any additional questions, contact FLA Director, Dr. Brian Baer, at bbaer@kent.edu.

Kent State University
2013 STARTALK Teacher Leadership Academy

For K-12 Teachers of
Arabic, Chinese, Russian

Integrating Technology with Best Practices
Saturday, June 29 through Monday, July 8, 2013


Kent State University with the generous support of a federal government STARTALK grant announces the 2013 STARTALK Teacher Leadership Academy. The 2013 Academy is designed to expose participating K-12 teachers of Arabic, Chinese, or Russian to a variety of technologies to facilitate twenty-first-century learning.

The 2013 Academy offers participating teachers the following benefits at no cost to the individual:

• Three graduate-level credit hours from Kent State University
• Use of a laptop with all relevant foreign language software for the duration of the Teacher Academy
• Room and board for the duration of the Teacher Academy
• Opportunity to observe and participate in the 2013 Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy, a summer immersion program for local high school students

The Academy recognizes that in addition to the issues faced by all foreign language teachers, teachers of critical languages share some unique challenges, such as non-Roman scripts and longer time to proficiency). Moreover, many teachers of critical languages work part-time in more than one school and with administrators and colleagues who have little experience with critical languages, and so may feel isolated. Therefore, the Academy seeks to provide participating teachers with a supportive learning community composed of their fellow teachers of Arabic, Chinese and Russian. The 2013 Academy builds on the foundation of the successful 2011 and 2012 KSU STARTALK Teacher Leadership Academies.

Teachers interested in participating in the 2013 Academy are requested to complete an application form by April 1.

Teachers will be notified of their acceptance no later than May 1, 2013.

If you have any questions about the STARTALK Teacher Leadership Academy, please contact the Academy Director, Brian Baer bbaer@kent.edu OR Co-director, Theresa Minick at tminick@kent.edu .

2013 Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy

Schedule for final day (Saturday, July 13, 2013)

9-11AM Final exams
11:15-12:00 Check out – Russian group
12:00-12:45 Check out – Chinese group
12:45-1:30 Check out – Arabic group
2-4 Final ceremony in the KIVA auditorium
(across from the Student Center)

Friends and relatives are welcome to attend!

Learning a new language on summer ‘to do’ list
May 31, 2012 By Ashley Rittenhouse (arittenhouse@mariettatimes.com) , The Marietta Times

Read this article about the 2012 Regents STARTALK Foreign Language Academy in The Marietta Times!