Building Early Language Latiné Educators (BELLE)   

This project seeks to strengthen a pipeline of bilingual and bicultural early childhood teachers, a rising and well-documented need both in New Jersey and nationally. Working with New Brunswick Public School (NBPS) educators, investigators from the National Institute for Early Education (NIEER) of Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education (GSE) are designing a dual-enrollment course for high school students, introducing them to early childhood education practices for young multilingual learners.  

The course encompasses the fundamentals of language acquisition, research-based early childhood teaching strategies, and culturally and linguistically responsive strategies. The model includes in-classroom opportunities for high school students to work in preschool settings with a group of bilingual preschool partner educators from NBPS. This pilot project represents a unique opportunity to increase the pipeline of bilingual teachers who can implement dual language programs, and may lead participants to consider teacher preparation pathways at Rutgers Graduate School of Education.