The AIU’s K-12 English as a Second Language Program (ESL) recently teamed up with Fox Chapel Area School District (FCASD) to organize professional development focused on fostering regional collaboration to support multilingual learners.
The idea for the event came from Matthew Patterson, Ph.D., the executive director of secondary education and instruction at FCASD. Recognizing the growing number of multilingual learners in the region, he sought to create a space for educators to share strategies and resources.
“We really want to meet the needs of the students and their families,” Patterson said.
When he reached out to the AIU’s K-12 ESL program for guidance, he learned the AIU was already planning a similar professional development event. This led to a collaboration between the two organizations, with Kelly Noyes, Ed.D., program director for Educational Support Services at the AIU, suggesting a joint event.
“Merging our events allowed them to tap into more resources,” Noyes said.
The result was “Pittsburgh Voices: Building Bridges, Building Futures,” a co-sponsored symposium held on Feb. 17 at Fox Chapel Area High School. Keynote speaker Javier Ávila performed “The Trouble with My Name,” blending poetry and personal narratives to explore the minority experience and social issues.
Throughout the morning, presenters led engaging breakout sessions covering best practices for supporting multilingual learners. Mandy Mosko, an AIU ESL instructor at the Mt. Lebanon School District, led a session on five essential strategies:
- Scaffolding to gradually build language skills
- Differentiating activities to meet diverse learning needs
- Using technology to enhance engagement
- Being culturally responsive to make learning more relevant
- Promoting cooperative learning to foster peer support
“These strategies are practical and widely recognized, making them easy to implement,” Mosko said. “All these strategies aim to create a more inclusive, supportive, and dynamic environment for language learners.”
Another session, led by Michael Amick, Ed.D., principal of Bellevue Elementary School (BES) in the Northgate School District, showcased how his school is integrating language learning into its culture. Teachers, counselors, and sixth-grade student leaders use Duolingo to learn languages spoken by new students, fostering a more inclusive environment.
“It was fun sharing what we are doing at BES and then learning about the successes and challenges in other districts,” Amick said.
Other sessions highlighted the experiences of English learners themselves. Presenter Kathy Rombach, an AIU ESL instructor at FCASD, invited several of her students to take the stage and share their ESL success stories, demonstrating the program’s meaningful impact.
Maria Magnotta, an AIU ESL instructor at McIntyre Elementary School in the North Hills School District, attended Rombach’s session. “I was grateful that Kathy shared her students with us. They read mini sagas and gave presentations about themselves. It took a great amount of courage for them to do this in front of a room full of adults,” Magnotta said. “I thought this session was important for classroom teachers to see because it was a glimpse of what happens in a typical ESL classroom.”
Magnotta also reflected on a session led by Khara Timsina, executive director of the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh, who spoke about the journey of Bhutanese refugees. “His presentation reminded us to think about our students’ backgrounds and the hardships that their families may have faced to get where they are today,” she said.
The symposium provided a valuable platform for educators to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen regional collaboration—all in service of creating more inclusive, supportive learning environments for multilingual students.
Learn more about the AIU’s K-12 ESL Program
All photos were provided by FCASD