Applications Open for American Indian Language Development Institute

Enrollment is currently open for the 25th annual American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI), which will be held June 7 to July 2, 2004 at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

The UA department of language, reading and culture in the College of Education and the American Indian Studies Programs will host the event.

Celebrating 25 years as a unique institute for Native language education and championing indigenous language rights are central to this year's theme, Indigenous Language and Education Rights. The mini-conference and 4-week courses will focus on the accomplishments of AILDI and its participants, current issues in Native American education and language rights, and action plans.

AILDI offers six graduate or undergraduate credit hours through four weeks of intensive study in American Indian linguistics, bilingual-bicultural education and culture-based curriculum development. All courses lead toward regular degree programs and teacher endorsements.

Since it was founded in 1978, the American Indian Language Development Institute has helped incorporate Indigenous linguistic and cultural knowledge in school curricula. AILDI prepares Native teachers and parents to become researchers, practitioners, bilingual/bicultural curriculum specialists and effective language teachers.