OneWorld Now! (OWN) was founded in Seattle in 2002. OWN serves diverse populations of youth, provides opportunities to learn world languages and navigate diverse cultures, and builds leadership skills. Their programs prepare students to interact in new environments and build the skills to be effective global citizens.
The organization is committed to building inclusive communities locally and globally. They host experiential workshops that foster social, emotional, and intercultural leadership skills. Through study abroad programs, they connect American high school students with their peers around the world.
Arabic, Chinese, and Korean are in high demand by employers, but less commonly taught in K-12 public schools. OWN teaches these critical world languages at summer language camps for high school students and recent graduates.
OneWorld Now! Summer Language Camp
Seattle high school students (and recent graduates), can apply to the OneWorld Now! summer language camp, an immersion program to learn beginning Arabic, Korean, or Chinese. There is only a minimal registration fee; due to support from STARTALK, there are no other fees to attend this camp.
The OWN language and culture camp focuses on fostering language acquisition, intercultural understanding, and a desire for international travel. The camp will teach the practices and perspectives of the culture, and introduce students to leadership skills that will enable them to become local youth leaders with a global perspective.
Why Study Arabic?
- Arabic is the official language in over 20 countries and is also understood by Muslims throughout the world as the language of the Qur’an.
- The Middle East plays an increasingly important role in international affairs: there is a high demand and low supply of Arabic speakers in the Western world, which has led to financial incentives for learning the language.
- Possible career paths include: Foreign service and intelligence, consulting, journalism, business and industry, education, finance and banking, and translation and interpretation.
Why Study Chinese?
- Mandarin Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world with over a billion people.
- The economic futures of the United States and China are intricately intertwined, and those who speak Chinese are major assets to employers that work with the Chinese market.
- Learning Chinese opens doors to a fascinating culture with over 4,000 years of history.
- Understanding the Chinese culture and language is useful for those interested in traveling to or working in China and Taiwan.
Why study Korean?
- Korean is spoken by 78 million speakers as a first language. This makes Korean one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
- Korea’s information and communication technology is considered as one of the best in the world, especially for its expertise in IT and Robotics.
- K-Pop, or Korean Pop music is becoming increasingly popular all over the globe.
- The National Security Education Program considers Korean a language critical for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.
About Startalk
STARTALK is a project funded by the National Security Agency and administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland. STARTALK’s mission is to increase the number of U.S. citizens learning, speaking, and teaching critical-need foreign languages.
STARTALK offers students (K–16) and teachers of these languages creative and engaging summer experiences that strive to exemplify best practices in language education and in language teacher development.
2021 Seattle Summer Language Camp
Registration opens April 1, 2021
- Eligible Grade Level: High school students entering grades 9-12 in AY 2018-19, as well as recently graduated high school seniors (class of 2018).
- When: Monday through Friday, 9AM-NOON or 3-6PM.
- Where: The 2021 summer program will take place primarily online. If public health conditions allow, we may also offer optional in-person cultural or leadership activities: Summit Sierra School, 1025 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
- What: Modern Standard Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, or Korean
- HS Credits: Students can earn 0.5 world language credits on their high school transcript
- Cost for the program is $25, which will be paid upon your acceptance into the program.
- Application Deadline: June 15
- For more information or to apply, visit: https://oneworldnow.org/programs/summer-language-camp/
During summer language camp, students will learn basic writing, reading, listening, and speaking skills in classes taught using immersion methodology. Methods to learn the language include classroom activities, guest speakers, music, and field trips. The last day of the camp will feature student performances in a culminating showcase for classmates, family, and community members.
