Prince William County Public Schools is the most diverse school division in Virginia and 10th most diverse in the nation, representing 166 total birth countries and 189 total home languages.
On September 8, PWCS joined the global community in celebrating International Literacy Day, with this year's theme being "Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace."
In alignment with this theme, PWCS Library Media Programs and Research (LMPR) collaborated with the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) team and the Student Opportunity and Multilingual Services (SOMS) Department to ensure that students across all PWCS schools have access to a diverse collection of books. These resources are carefully selected to support student choice in literacy-rich materials, fostering a love of reading, and expanding opportunities for multilingual learning.
“Each time our multilingual learners visit our school libraries, they are benefiting from the intentional literacy work in our division and as school librarians, we are wholeheartedly supporting this effort,” stated Tina Huddleston, Minnieville Elementary School librarian.
PWCS libraries are central to connecting with all learners, empowering students to think, create, share, and grow. School librarians hold a unique position, with the ability to influence instruction across all content areas and grade levels. This environment encourages students to blend classroom skills with unique, literacy-centered learning experiences.
The collaborative efforts of LMPR, SEL, and SOMS have ensured that PWCS students have access to books in all eight languages supported by the division, along with digital access to titles in many of the other 112 languages spoken by PWCS families. This initiative not only promotes reading but also celebrates the rich cultural and linguistic diversity within the community.
Huddleston reflects on the joy students feel when language barriers are removed, and literacy is shared equally. “When a student is able to choose the same book as their classmate in their home language, the smile and sense of belonging that emerges is priceless!” said Huddleston.
In addition to these resources, LMPR has worked closely with SOMS to support the division's four Dual Language Immersion (DLI) schools by developing multilingual collections tailored to the program's language. This ensures that students in DLI have access to materials that reinforce their language skills and contribute to their overall academic success.
“As Minnieville enters our first year of Dual Language Immersion, these new books will provide the necessary foundation for a love of literacy in any language,” stated Huddleston.
The PWCS’ Dual Language Immersion program allows students to study academic content in two languages, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The goals of the program are bilingualism and biliteracy, high academic achievement, and sociocultural competence.
Furthering their commitment to literacy, LMPR also partners with the Community Outreach, Business Partnerships, and Philanthropy Department, SOMS, and Prince William Public Libraries to host author events, both virtual and in person. These events provide literacy-rich experiences for all students, helping to bring the joy of reading to life. To participate in these events and explore more resources, families are encouraged to reach out to their school librarian for program updates and to visit the Prince William Public Library's website.
As September is also Library Card Month, why not sign up for a public library card?