A New Mexico high school will include Dine along with Spanish and English when attendees recite the Pledge of Allegiance during its graduation ceremony in May. Kylie Talker, a senior whose grandparents speak the Native American language, started a student petition to urge the school to incorporate Dine into some part of the program.

Eighth-graders at a Massachusetts school and a group of students in Spain are writing to each other to practice their target language and learn about one another. The students write the letters in Spanish, and their pen pals write back to them in English, giving both groups an opportunity to build their language skills and global connections.

A year since its launch, Turnitin's AI writing detection tool has processed 200 million papers, revealing that 11% of papers contained at least 20% AI content. The data comes as districts have been exploring policy changes to address the technology while also awaiting guidance from states, which have been slow to release recommendations.

Students can begin to learn about AI without the district needing access to ChatGPT and other tools. Teachers can introduce the concept starting in early grades by getting students to spot fake videos and text and learning how information can be manipulated for good and bad, says Pati Ruiz of Digital Promise.

Lindsay Mitchell, world language teacher, worked with students to help reduce the number of late assignments and devise a policy that has been adopted schoolwide. The policy, Mitchell writes, has resulted in fewer late assignments, improved student agency and reduced intervention from parents.

A group of students from Bruyeres, France, recently visited Hawaii on a cultural exchange trip to learn more about the liberation of their town 80 years ago by the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was made up of Japanese Americans from Hawaii. The 31 students and five teachers met with families of local veterans and paid visits to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, while a group of students from Hawaii plans a visit later this year to Bruyeres to mark the anniversary of the town's liberation.

Help to recognize outstanding achievements by nominating an individual or program to be recognized with an ACTFL and LCF Professional Award. Recipients will be announced at the 2024 ACTFL Annual Convention as well as in the Winter issue of The Language Educator, and self-nomination is possible in most cases. The nomination period is now open, and all materials must be submitted online by June 14. Submit a nomination.

The Language Connects Foundation (LCF) is now accepting student applications for its Teacher Scholarship Program. This award provides merit-based funding -- renewable up to $6,000 per recipient -- to graduating high school seniors committed to pursuing the language teaching profession in languages other than English at either two- or four-year institutions. Please share this information broadly with students, fellow language educators, and school counselors in your network. The deadline to apply is May 31.