Organized by the Lycée Français de New York, this panel of experts and educators in bilingualism and bilingual education will offer guidance to parents, whether in bilingual or monolingual households, on how best to nurture a child’s second or even third language at home.
Kathleen Stein-Smith will moderate the panel. She is the author of “The U.S. Foreign Language Deficit”, and Associate University Librarian at Fairleigh Dickinson University — Metropolitan Campus, USA. She is also Chair of AATF Commission on Advocacy and member of ATA Education & Pedagogy Committee. She has taught foreign languages at high school and college level, taught adult learners, delivered TEDx talk on the U.S. foreign language deficit, and is author of books and several articles.
Panel:
– Sylvia Edwards, a product of Caribbean descent, lived much of her formative years between the islands and Chicago as a child and young adult. She earned her Associates and Bachelors degrees in Chicago attending Roosevelt University and Robert Morris University. As a young adult she involved herself in volunteer work for various organizations including volunteering at one of Chicago’s toughest prisons dealing with female and male inmates and serving at homeless shelters. She trained for the Chicago chapter of Suicide prevention where she was a steadfast active representative taking on desperate nightly callers seeking help. As a committed crusader she was an on-call go between volunteer at the Rape Crisis Center for the survivors and police assigned to a specific hospital responding to survivors’ needs. Sylvia completed a year long mentorship for YouthAction YouthBuild of New York dedicated to assisting members in earning their High School equivalent degree, learn new skills and help broaden their worldly horizons to become productive and contributing citizens. As an advocate for empowering young ladies, Sylvia has spent numerous years passionately teaching and educating the importance of professional skills and socially acceptable protocols.
– Audrey Peverelli, Head of School, Lycée Français de New York. She joined the Lycée Français de New York in August 2018. She brings with her a 30-year career as teacher, director and founder of bilingual schools around the world, including in France, Switzerland, Venezuela and Brazil. She is an Argentine-born, British and Swiss citizen who speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. A self-proclaimed lifelong learner, she was a fellow at Columbia University’s prestigious Klingenstein Center. She serves on the Board of the Academy of International School Heads and is an advisor to the Board of Philosophy for Children.
– Marion Leroux, from Lunii. This little box tells audio stories to kids from 3 to 8 years old. Lunii allows children to experience an immersive audio universe through an innovative screenless device and original content.