UNT's bilingual education program offered a first-of-its-kind bilingual education camp for area high school students June 10-12.

The camp is designed to address a shortage of bilingual teachers by encouraging high school students to pursue bilingual teaching careers.

"Currently, there is not a sufficient number of qualified bilingual teachers to match the rapid continued growth of Spanish-speaking parents and school-age children," says Ed Fuller, co-director of research at the State Board of Educator Certification, the agency that certifies public school teachers.

According to a report from the Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer, the population of Texas will be more than one-half Hispanic by 2025.

"We are intent on supporting school districts in their efforts to educate children whose first language is not English," says Rudy Rodriguez, professor of teacher education and administration and director of UNT's bilingual education program.

Participating students in the summer camp were selected based on their grade point average and for their answers to essay questions that focused on their interest in the camp and the importance of bilingual education to children and the future of Texas.

Rodriguez says students were introduced to basic techniques to help immigrant children who are learning English as a second language to succeed in school.

"Our ultimate goal was to encourage these students to consider teaching in bilingual education as a viable career option," says Rodriguez.

BY CATHY CASHIO ccashio@unt.edu

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• UNT work attire standards relax as temperatures go up
• Verizon donates $50,000 to UNT's TAMS
• Faculty Senate holds final 2002-03 meeting
• UNT chancellor hits the books
• First Flight Week planned to help incoming freshmen learn about life on campus
• National String Project Consortium extends College of Music funding with $10,000 grant
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