Stanly County Schools will start a dual language program at Endy Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year.

SCS will be partnering with Participate, a national organization that helps districts start and develop dual language programs.

Dual language immersion programs use English and another partner language for literacy and content instruction for students, according to a PowerPoint shared with interested parents at a recent information meeting.

The most common other language is Spanish and the program provides instruction in the two languages over an extended period of time from kindergarten through at least the fifth grade.

The program’s goals are for students to be bilingual, biliterate and bicultural.

“This is an opportunity for students to learn another language and culture at the elementary level,” said Endy principal Karen Nixon.

“We visited two DL programs last year and it was amazing to observe students communicating fluently in two languages,” Nixon added.

The program will begin with kindergarten next year and the school will add a grade level each year, said Susan Brooks, elementary director for SCS.

It will be a magnet program, so any students in the county will be able to apply, Brooks said.

The school has also hired a teacher for the program. She will arrive from Colombia in July and will be part of the Participate program, said Brooks. The teacher will spend several weeks training with Participate before coming to Stanly.

Stanly County’s population is about 4 percent Hispanic or Latino, according to the latest U.S. Census data.

SCS opened registration for the program at a Jan. 15 parent meeting.  The school can accept up to 25 students next school year and Endy already has 16 students registered.