Language Navigators

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

The Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) Language Navigators program was created during the fall of 2020 to provide much needed access to vital school information for Henrico’s immigrant communities. The program is an extension of the Equity Ambassadors program, which supports equity and access for non-English-speaking students and families.The Navigators program consists of 90 bilingual students from all HCPS high schools. They represent 16 ethnicities, with the goal of incorporating more. The students are divided into 24 groups according to language. The members collaborate to create and post videos explaining announcements and important details families need to support their children’s education. Students use slides, voice-overs, charts and arrows to explain the various procedures in their native languages.Once completed and approved, the videos are posted on the HCPS Office of Equity, Diversity and Opportunity YouTube channel. The videos’ popularity with our immigrant families was evident by the many appreciative responses we have received. Many immigrant communities have a leader who points their neighbors toward needed resources, and the translation videos have quickly become an important resource for them. The students are proud of their work and excited that they are able to serve in such a necessary capacity.