Attend a Free 2024 Summer Camp to Learn Arabic or Russian
When are the Camps?
July 2023
Monday - Friday
7:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
How Much Does the Camp Cost?
The program is free. There is no cost for students!
Who Can Register for the Camps?
Rising 7th through 12th-grade students in Prince William County for the fall of 2024-25.
When is the Deadline to Register?
To be determined. The registration information will be shared with families through SchoolStatus and the World Language teachers in all the middle and high schools in PWCS.
What Will Students Learn?
Students will have the opportunity to explore learning Arabic or Russian, two languages in high demand in the workforce in our region of Northern Virginia, through four curriculum units: Personal and school connections, community connections, interdisciplinary connections, and career connections.
The pre-camp, three-week in-person summer camp, and post-camp activities are carefully and intentionally designed to introduce the students to the Arabic and Russian-speaking peoples and their cultures throughout the globe and to the new opportunities and future possibilities learning these languages can offer in their career pathways and their lives in general.
Classes will immerse the students in the target language for 90% of the instructional time, integrating Arabic and Russian vocabulary with basic language phrases, cross-cultural products, practices, and perspectives while engaging students in interdisciplinary projects, field trips, and activities. Some examples of cultural activities include virtual tours of places where people speak the language; they will explore art, food, music, and other entertainment.
While focusing on the two languages and cultures of the Arabic and Russian-speaking worlds, the broader goal is to emphasize the value added by being bilingual or multilingual and open new cultures and experiences.
Who can I contact for more information?
Contact Viviana Quiceno, Administrative Coordinators for World Languages and Director of the STARTALK Arabic or Russian Summer Camps, at quicencv@pwcs.edu or 703-791-7426.
What should I know about the STARTALK summer camp program?
The PWCS World Language program values the study of all languages and appreciates the multilingualism of our students and families as an asset to our school community. Equity and inclusivity are the first two values in the PWCS Strategic Plan, as we celebrate our diversity as a strength and welcome all students.
The PWCS World Languages Program applied for the STARTALK Grant to offer the Arabic and Russian Summer camps for the 2022-23 school year. STARTALK grants provide funds to educational institutions in order to support the enhanced learning of what are called critical need languages. Among those identified are Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, and Urdu. The grant was awarded and successfully implemented, with almost 90 middle and high school students enjoying the experience. PWCS successfully applied for and received a new grant from STARTALK for the 2023-24 school year. Fifty additional students will receive an invitation to join the program in spring 2024. We are excited and grateful to offer this opportunity to 140 PWCS students!
What is STARTALK? What is its mission?
STARTALK is a federal grant program funded by the National Security Agency and administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. STARTALK grants fund summer world language learning programs and professional development for World Language teachers. STARTALK grants support programs for students and teachers of critical need languages.
STARTALK grants support integration and implementation of the nation's best and most current World Language best practices as embraced by the PWCS world language program K-12. STARTALK grants also support our philosophy of inclusion of all students learning additional languages at any age.
Communication is at the heart of learning any language; it is the power standard of all curriculum standards with intercultural concepts such as body language, register, products, practices, and perspectives embedded within all oral and written expression.
The STARTALK grant allows up to 140 students to learn Arabic or Russian through the themes of Personal and School Connections, Community Connections, Interdisciplinary Connections, and Career Connections. Through highly engaging pre-camp, summer camp, and post-camp activities, students will acquire basic Arabic and Russian skills used in everyday, real-life situations while also showing students how connections to interdisciplinary projects such as those created within the arts, CTE/culinary arts, and STEM tap into all students' interests and career pathways that open new gateways for their future endeavors.
Want to offer some ideas or assistance?
Any citizens of PWCS community or middle and high school teachers of any content area with Arabic or Russian skills and interests, are welcome to contact Viviana Quiceno, Administrative Coordinators for World Languages and Director of the STARTALK Arabic or Russian Summer Camps at quicencv@pwcs.edu or call her at 703-791-7426.