R.A.I.C.E.S. (Roots): A conceptual framework for community‐building that connects linguistic and cultural wealth to support emergent bilinguals

Abstract

AbstractProject R.A.I.C.E.S. (Reaching All Individuals and Communities to Establish Success in Language Learning) is a National Professional Development grant initiative operating at Stephen F. Austin State University. Grant objectives were designed to enhance school readiness, English acquisition, and literacy outcomes for emergent bilinguals (EBs), English learners (ELs), and multilingual learners (MLLs) through collaborative professional development events involving university, community, parent, and school district partnerships. The Spanish word raíces translates to roots in English, symbolizing the project's commitment to preserving and nurturing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the community by reframing language learning within an additive paradigm. Project R.A.I.C.E.S. creates paid professional development events to build a community of professors, preservice teachers, in‐service teachers, parents and caregivers of emergent bilingual children, and children in collaborative professional development sessions called academias (academies). Each academia positions all participants, especially parents and caregivers and their children, as key stakeholders and equal partners in the learning process to honor the community's cultural wealth, emphasizing linguistic and cultural sustainability for English language learners in educational settings. Moreover, the academias provide preservice and in‐service teacher professional development and preparation for the TExES ESL certification exam, crucial for better meeting the needs of EBs/ELs/MLLs in rural schools.