Hi Reader,

There is a shortage of interpreters in our area – and many multilingual individuals are already doing casual interpretation for family members and friends – and World Speaks aims to bridge that gap.

That’s why last week, we held our first Foundations of Community Interpreting Course. 4 individuals gathered at our Omaha offices to start their journey to bridge language gaps by learning interpretation skills.

It was a packed four days with 25 hours of total instruction! This incredible group explored interpretation techniques, discussed professional ethics and learned the framework of language justice. They also learned about careers as community interpreters and practiced their new skills. They also had professionals in the field come and talk to them - Angela Monterroso (NATI Board member and Director of the Spanish Translation and Interpretation program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney), David Leguillow (Omaha Integrative Care) and Vladimir Bazan (Nebraska Language Services LLC, Federally Certified Court Interpreter & Nebraska Supreme Court Certified Interpreter). They talked about skills and resources. It was a wonderful way to get a glimpse into the profession.

“The language access needs of our community are growing – and we are so excited at the interest in our Foundations of Community Interpreting Course. This first session was a pilot – and we learned a lot; we plan on holding more in 2026. This will help our community tremendously, giving skills to people who are eager to start working as community interpreters and about the profession as a whole.”

We can't wait for our next training (to be announced) in 2026!

Join us at the Bilingual Resource Fair in Council Bluffs TONIGHT!

World Speaks is excited to be attending the free bilingual resource fair for entrepreneurs and anyone interested in starting or growing a business in Council Bluffs! There will be resources for Banking, Accounting, Insurance, and Legal services, plus other community organizations that can provide support. English and Spanish support will be available, with interpreters on-site for non-bilingual organizations.

There will be networking from 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm and panel sessions from 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm. This event is FREE! Learn more at: LINK​

Thank YOU for putting Language Access into Action.

At the end of the year, we love reflecting on how much growth we’ve seen in language access across our community. This year, we’ve expanded programs, trained new interpreters, and helped thousands of our neighbors’ access services in the language they need.

We also worked to raise awareness about why language access matters—educating and inspiring our community throughout the year. None of this would be possible without the generosity and partnership of people like you.

We want to say THANK YOU for continuing to make language access possible in our community. Remember, when you support World Speaks, you are putting language access into action. Thank you so much for all your support.

Gifts for Language Enthusiasts

Thanksgiving is almost here and the gift giving season is right around the corner.

Do you know someone who loves language access? The World Speaks Bonfire store (https://www.bonfire.com/store/world-speaks-omaha/) offers cool gifts highlighting the importance of language access! We have clothing, totes, and other gear – and the best part? They are all designed in-house by Randy Whitney Chavez, who creates all our incredible graphics.

Here is a quick look at some of our favorite things:

Our Mantra Wear shirts and sweatshirts encourages others to learn a new language, connect with our community, and help break barriers.

Our Super Power Wear is for our multilingual friends who want to flex their language superpowers! They are available in two color styles – blue text and white text.

Our Stay Cultured Wear 2.0 encourages everyone to engage with their community.

Finally, there mugs featuring the lovable World Speaks mascots – Coco the Culture Dog and Linx the Language Cat. You can also get a Coco tote and a Linx notebook!

Language Access Learning

Since we’re focused on Thankfulness this month, we thought we’d share with you how to say “Thank You” in 10 different languages – including

Gracias (GRAH-syahs) – Spanish

Danke (DAHN-kuh) – German

شكراً (SHOO-kran) – Arabic

Asante (ah-SAHN-the) – Swahili

Дякую (DYA-koo-yoo) - Ukrainian

Cảm ơn (gahm-UN) – Vietnamese

धन्यवाद (dhun-ya-BAAD) – Nepali

Salamat (sah-LAH-maht) – Filipino

Grazie (GRAH-tsyeh) – Italian

감사합니다 (gam-sah-HAM-nee-da) - Korean

GET INVOLVED

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Giving Tuesday – December 2, 2025
• Last Day for requesting Interpretation and Translation Requests - December 5, 2025
• World Speaks Winter Rest Closure - December 22,2025 - January 2, 2026

7914 W Dodge Rd #475

Omaha NE 68114

(Mailing address)

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