Collaborating With Our
National Partner

For almost a decade, SeSo, Inc. has distinguished itself as a leader in professional development for interpreters and translators working in early childhood and K-12 settings. We have provided over 300 trainings in 28 states for speakers of 19 languages, along with more than 165 scholarships for bilingual community members eager to learn about the world of interpretation in education settings.

We are thrilled to announce that SeSo, Inc. and its team of experienced facilitators, will be donating their time and expertise to the National Accreditation of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages (NAETISL) to continue offering professional development opportunities for interpreters and translators that are both affordable and accessible.

A series of upcoming webinar/practice sessions will be announced soon on the NAETISL website and we encourage those interested to sign up for the NAETISL newsletter to stay informed. These skill-building opportunities will become essential as the national nonprofit organization collaborates with stakeholders to establish a certification process for interpreters and translators in education. 
Our Language Services Division Keeps Growing

SeSo, Inc’s professional interpreters and translators continue to provide quality services to school districts across the nation. Just in the month of April, we translated over 65 documents to 12 languages (2152 pages!) and our interpreters supported school districts with over 150 hours of interpretation during parent-teacher conferences and special education meetings. We thank our school district partners for recognizing the value of working with a trained and qualified interpreter/translator in education. 
Changing the Narrative

The focus of our newsletter will shift to sharing stories related to the impact of interpreters and translators in education and inspirational stories from our emergent bilingual communities. We hope you share yours! Here are a couple of stories to begin our journey:
The Story of Biya

How can we forget Biya! Biya participated in our Interpretation Academy for Bilingual High School students (graduation ceremony on the left) and from the start, he was eager to use his bilingual skills to support his community. Now, Biya, a natural-born engineer, is graduating in the spring from Georgia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering and has been honored with the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, a national merit-based graduate fellowship for immigrants and the children of immigrants. Read more.
Harvard-Bound!

Read about Elizabeth Esteban who has been accepted to Harvard on a full ride scholarship. Speaking in Purepecha, an Indigenous Language in Michoacán, Mexico, her mother expresses her pride and hopes for her daughter’s bright future. Read more.
Strengthening our Network of Professional Interpreters in Education

We have a full house in our online University of Georgia Professional Interpreter in Education Certificate course and our Professional Interpreter in Special Education Certificate course! A couple of new states have joined us (welcome, Kentucky and Idaho!) and our two bilingual Assistant Principals are getting a feel of the world of an interpreter! They are looking forward to making our courses mandatory for bilingual school personnel in their districts. We are building our community and strengthening our network, one course at a time. 
The PhD Corner

Second semester almost done and so much more to learn. More research is surfacing about the intersection of bilingualism and disability and the specific support systems that bilingual children with disabilities must have in order to succeed. Studies have found that maintaining the home languages strengthen the student’s language abilities and emotional development, regardless of disability. Exposing English Learners with disabilities to two or more languages is not confusing, according to research. In fact, bilingual education programs that support bilingualism, biculturalism and biliteracy, lead to better academic outcomes than English-only instruction. Disability-related needs do not take precedence over language needs and the family’s culture, values and language must be part of any plan to support a bilingual child with a disability.
Cultural Humility: Collaborating with English Learner Families and Promoting Welcoming Schools

Our workshops (with online options) are designed to give Educators, Parent Instructional Coordinators, Parent Liaisons, School Counselors and School Administrators, an overview of evidence-based tools to collaborate effectively with English Learner families and foster family engagement. Through highly-interactive small group activities, we discover creative ways to strengthen cultural and linguistic bridges with multicultural school communities. 
Ana Soler, BSW, MPH - Ph.D. in Special Education Student