The Director of the Multilingual Learner Program of Beaufort County School District, Diana Dromsky, presented a cultural competency information session to LowCountry Alliance for Healthy Youth (LCAHY) Board Members during the April Community Board Meeting. Dromsky’s presentation provided an overview of multilingual learners (MLLs) in Southern Beaufort County. She shared data on the demographics of MLL students and included recent trends. Her presentation included understanding the background of MLLs including acculturation vs. assimilation, trauma during migration, and educational support from home to name a few. She also included her personal experiences as a multilingual student and highlighted the issues and needs of multilingual learners and their parents in Southern Beaufort County. The presentation included barriers that MLLs families may face in reaching out for help such as language barriers, judgment, bullying, and political situations. Diana stressed the importance of reaching out to parents in a welcoming way and suggested offering a service that newcomers would need as a way to connect with the families. Mrs.Dromsky encouraged LCAHY to be a part of the next Bluffton High MLL Parent Night as a pilot to join other high school MLL parent nights during the next school year. Hosting a cultural competency training is an activity in LCAHY’s 12-Month Action Plan under Strategy 4-Enhance Access/Reduce Barriers within the 7 Strategies of Community Level Change. LCAHY plans to take ideas offered during the cultural competency training to expand opportunities to educate multilingual learners and their families on mental health, substance use, and rules and laws surrounding alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and prescription medication. To view the presentation click here.
Diana Dromsky addresses how LCAHY can connect with and educate and share resources with multilingual learners and their parents.
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