Strengthening Our Schools Through Collaboration

We are excited to announce our partnership with the Coalition of Community-Based Heritage Language Schools (https://heritagelanguageschools.org/coalition), creating new opportunities for Forum Deutsch member schools to connect, collaborate, and strengthen their work.

For our members, this partnership means a stronger collective voice. By joining a broader network of heritage and community schools, Forum Deutsch can contribute to shared advocacy efforts and help raise awareness of the important role heritage-language schools play in our communities.

It also means greater visibility for our member schools. Through the Coalition’s online school map (https://heritagelanguageschools.org/coalition/data#map), Forum Deutsch member schools can add their school information and location, helping families and others discover German-language programs in their area. At the same time, our schools become part of a broader network of community-based heritage language schools across the country and can connect with families, educators, and organizations beyond our existing community.

Another important benefit is learning and exchange across languages and communities. Forum Deutsch member schools are invited to participate in the Coalition’s workshops and professional learning opportunities (https://heritagelanguageschools.org/coalition/webinars-and-cafes) throughout the year. These events bring together educators and school leaders from a wide range of heritage language programs, offering opportunities to exchange ideas, share practical resources, and learn from experiences beyond the German-language school community.

The Coalition’s annual conference ( https://heritagelanguageschools.org/coalition/conference) is a particularly valuable opportunity for Forum Deutsch members. It provides a space to meet other heritage-school leaders and educators, participate in discussions and professional learning, share experiences, and build relationships that can continue beyond the conference itself.

We see this partnership as an opportunity to expand the network and resources available to Forum Deutsch members while ensuring that the experiences and perspectives of German heritage-language schools are part of the wider conversation.

We look forward to sharing more opportunities with our members and to building an even stronger community of schools through this collaboration.