Kimberly Brown
This newsletter’s featured member is Kimberly Brown, Assistant Director at The Bennett Family Center on Penn State’s University Park Campus. Her dedication and involvement in Bilingualism Matters brings to our work the very important perspective of a teacher and administrator working daily with bilingual children and families. Here’s what Kim had to say about her work at Bennett, and why bilingualism matters to her:
I have worked at the Bennett Family Center here on campus for the past 18 years, 15 of which were as a preschool teacher and the last three as the Assistant Director. Our center is rich with cultural diversity, which creates a wonderful opportunity for our children, families and educators to learn and grow. On any given day, you will hear a family speaking Mandarin as they walk down the hallway, two children counting together in Spanish, or children singing hello in many different languages at the start of the day. It is amazing to hear all the different languages spoken throughout the center.
We have found that our bilingual families have as many questions as our staff do with regards to resources and dual-language learning both in the classroom and the home. We consider our center an extension of the family and our partnership with Bilingualism Matters is an important part of our success. The parent brown bag lunches regarding dual language learning, staff training, activities at center-wide parent events, and resources are just some of the ways that Bilingualism Matters has had a positive impact on our children, families, and educators.