Manuel, one of the Lead Student Organizers for SMART, addresses the audience at Many Languages One Night about language barriers in his school.

Thanks to all the community members, our partner organizations, donors and volunteers who made Many Stories One Night a success!

At the historic Gala Theatre, we screened Communities in Translation. Filmmaker Robert Winn was on hand to answer questions about the documentary, which concerned the 2008 Mount Pleasant fire. The fire destroyed the home of many Spanish-speakers, and underscored the importance of linguistically-competent first responders.  

We also released the preliminary findings of The State of Language Access in DC, a reflection of Limited- and Non-English proficient individuals' experiences accessing public services. The report is based on interviews with over 200 individuals from 28 different countries. MLOV's own Language Access Advocate, Tereguebode Goungou, and student attorneys from American University's Washington College of Law have coordinated the report.

The evening's two speakers, Manuel Juarez and Chi Vo, both spoke about their experiences as English Language Learners in the DC public school system, and addressed the need for interpretation services in their schools. Check back soon for videos of their speeches!