A collage of photos from Language Access Week show our empanada making event

Hi Reader,

During the second annual Language Access Week, held June 9-13, we came together with members of our community, our sponsors, and our supporters, and:

Had June 9-13 proclaimed Language Access Week by outgoing Mayor Jean Stothert. Members of the World Speaks board stepped in to read the proclamation on our social media channels – to watch, visit: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKrsHZ-i74c/
Got together with many of you at No More Empty Pots for an Empanada Making Class, where participants got to experience interpretation in action while making empanadas! Thank you to the people who participated, our amazing teacher Paulina, our team and volunteers who put in the work to make it a success.
Learned from organizations around the Omaha Metro on how they use language access. Click the organization names to learn how the city of Norfolk, Nebraska, ESU 3 Early Learning Connection, Omaha Police, Survivor Alliance, the Nebraska Writers Collective, the UNO Department of World Languages and Literature, City Sprouts, the Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative and the Heartland Workers Center practice language access!

We also reached over 20,000 people with our Language Access Awareness social media campaign! Thanks for sharing and engaging with us!

While we didn't hit our online donation match goal, thanks to the generosity of our of supporters, as well as the empanada event, we were able to meet half of that goal, which was supplemented by our incredible sponsors! We are also keeping the donation form open through the end of June, so you can still donate at: https://worldspeaks.ddock.gives/?givingPageId=3384a938-2130-42d5-b0cf-ba85ff9567f9%5C.

We also know that the week of Language Access Week was a difficult one for our community, and we are so appreciative of everyone who took the time to share their support of language access. We saw many organizations in our community, like CIRA and Heartland Workers Center, model how important language access is in times of crisis, and we are so thankful for their work.

Language Access Learning:
How to advocate for yourself to meet your language access needs.

During Language Access Week, we shared ways that you can advocate for yourself and your language access needs. As a special edition of our Language Access Learning feature, we wanted to share them with you!

Step one: Don't be embarrassed or afraid to ask for an interpreter or for materials to be translated! Just ask!

Step two: There are federal regulations that support access to interpretation. If an organization receives federal funding, then they have to provide an interpreter or they are in violation of Civil Rights Division | Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Step three: Some places that are required to provide interpreters are hospitals, public schools, and Courts; but there’s many more.

Step four: National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards, otherwise known as CLAS standards. These Standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by establishing a blueprint for health and health care organizations. One of those pillars is communication and language assistance.

Step five: If someone is encountered with the statement “pay for your own or wing it” Ask “Please tell me about your policy regarding Title VI of the Civil Rights Act” or “Please tell me about your policy around the federal CLAS standards.” This may get folks in gear to provide an interpreter!

We featured each of these steps in a different language every day of Language Access Week! Find them in French, Vietnamese, Spanish, Arabic, and Karen.

Summer Classes Are Underway!

A group of people sit in a classroom. They are talking to teach other and working on worksheets.

Summer Classes at World Speaks are happening right now. We’re so excited to have students learning Conversational Spanish and Arabic!

Our ASL 1B class starts in 4 weeks, and we still have spots open! Here's a bit more information on the class:

Classes will occur virtually via Zoom
Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Class starts July 22, 2025, and runs through August 21, 2025
The class will have seats for 15 students and last 5 weeks
Class is at no cost apart from the $15 registration fee that covers the class materials package
This class requires a pre-test, available at: https://forms.monday.com/forms/3e97476a80069122a521b0e879fdc007?r=use1
You can register for this class at: https://form.jotform.com/251398208688875

Fall class registration will start on the last Friday of August for our Newsletter subscribers! Watch this space for your chance to register!

Thank you, Arturo!

Our Language Accessibility Manager, Arturo Aceves González, will be leaving us. We want to take a moment to say thank you to Arturo for his time with World Speaks, and wish him well on his next adventure!

World Refugee Day

We had a lovely time at World Refugee Day at the Joslyn! Sponsored by the Omaha Refugee Task Force, it was a powerful reminder of the journeys so many have taken and the strength they bring to our neighborhoods. We were so excited to be there and talk to everyone who came to celebrate!

GET INVOLVED

Want to join World Speaks in our work? There are three ways you can do so!

Volunteer! We are always looking for native speakers interested in being in-class mentors. We’d love to have you join us this summer!
Donate – Every donation – large or small – improves language access in our community.
Visit our store for mugs featured Linx the Language Cat!