Additive Bilingualism, Community Cultural Wealth, and Program Design: The Case of Project R.A.I.C.E.S

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: The Agency of Language

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines Project R.A.I.C.E.S. (Reaching All Individuals and Communities to Establish Success in Language Learning), a five-year, federally funded initiative designed to sustain multilingualism in a policy context increasingly hostile to linguistic diversity. Situated in rural East Texas, the project employs culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, integrating additive bilingual education to enhance language acquisition among Emergent Bilinguals. This paper outlines the sociopolitical landscape, theoretical framework, and programmatic design, highlighting innovative professional development structures (academias) that engage families, teachers, and community stakeholders. Ultimately, Project R.A.I.C.E.S. offers a replicable conceptual model demonstrating how culturally sustaining theories can be operationalized to resist assimilationist pressures and promote equitable, community-anchored multilingual education

Authors

• Marisol Diaz, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Chrissy J Cross, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Heather K. Olson Beal, Stephen F. Austin State University