NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Schools employees are taking Spanish class to better connect with Spanish-speaking families in the school system.
An organization called Voces de Nashville, which teaches Spanish in the community, started offering free classes to Metro School employees in 2022.
They say interest in learning Spanish has grown exponentially, and this year, they've hit the most sign-ups across the board!
"There's just a lack of belonging sometime that can happen at school because of that barrier," added Becca Blank with Voces de Nashville. "But educators are awesome and they're always looking at how to bridge those gaps."
The weekly classes teach educators and school employees important Spanish lessons they can apply to daily life.
Educators know it's a clear need, with Hispanic students making up 30% of Metro Schools students.
"Spanish is their first language and sometimes Spanish is their only language," explained Mary Brewer, a transition specialist at the Johnson Alternative Learning Center, where Voces de Nashville started teaching this year. "We want to make sure that our students feel like they're part of the family."
Voces de Nashville adds they will soon offer classes to Metro bus drivers in October!
If you want to get your school involved or volunteer to become a teacher, you can find more information on their website.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
-Lelan Statom
