<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Language revitalization featured at education conference<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; min-height: 13px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">HONOLULU - Language revitalization programming was highlighted at the 38th annual convention of the National Indian Education Association, held in Honolulu Oct. 25 - 28. Approximately 3,000 attendees from tribes throughout the United States were welcomed by the organization's first Native Hawaiian president, VerlieAnn Leimomi Malina-Wright, vice principal of the K - 12 Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Anuenue Hawaiian language immersion school. Hawaiian language chanting and hula by Anuenue's Hawaiian-speaking football team were part of the opening ceremonies. </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; min-height: 13px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Excursions to visit 'Aha Punana Leo language nest preschools and Hawaiian language immersion school sites including Anuenue were well-attended. Some groups arrived a number of days before the conference to spend more time at immersion sites. </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; min-height: 13px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Throughout the conference, a wide variety of presentations on Native language teaching were held. One special feature was a two-day forum on language revitalization through immersion schooling held in the convention center theater. The forum featured panels of teachers, community members, teacher preparation programs, researchers and administrators discussing national best practices in immersion. The high academic performance of students in Native language immersion programs nationwide was stressed by researchers. </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Lucida Grande" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Lucida Grande">Complete story @: <a href="http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416185">http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416185</a></font></div>
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