Spanish carries an indelible mark of the African diaspora—from the early days of colonialism to the present.

In this workshop, you will get the historical “why,” then a step-by-step classroom routine for exploring Afrodescendant influence through accessible language examples, identity, and dialect attitudes. 

Leave with a replicable framework they can use immediately in Spanish 1+.

Discover how music can be a powerful tool for teaching social justice in the world language classroom. This session will explore creative ways to use songs and musical storytelling to foster critical conversations around equity, identity, and global awareness, with examples rooted in several languages and cultures.

Learn how to select authentic musical resources that highlight diverse voices, challenge stereotypes, and inspire students to engage meaningfully with the target language.

Walk away with adaptable lesson ideas and strategies to empower students as culturally aware global citizens.

Afrodescendant communities are central to the histories and cultures of the Spanish-speaking world but are often missing from language classrooms.

This workshop helps Spanish and world language teachers teach Afrodescendencia accurately and responsibly—without tokenizing or limiting Black history to a single week.

You’ll get a practical framework for choosing topics, vetting resources, and designing lessons that center dignity, joy, and lived experience. Learn a repeatable lesson structure for any language level, plus discussion and reflection prompts that connect language to identity.

Leave with ready-to-use tools: a plug-and-play lesson template, a “representation check” to avoid common pitfalls, and adaptable activities—interpretive tasks, media analysis, gallery walks, mini-biographies, and interpersonal discussions—that make meaningful cultural learning possible all year long.

This workshop is for world language teachers who want to create inclusive learning experiences at the intersection of race/ethnicity and disability. 

Allison Perryman will be joined by special guest Wesley Wood, Disability Specialist at Georgetown University.

Together, they’ll explore how bias shows up in whose stories are centered, “ideal student” expectations, and curriculum choices, including harmful stereotypes or erasure. You’ll gain tools to spot ableism and racism in classroom norms, participation, and materials, plus practical strategies like:

∙A resource checklist to ensure authentic representation

∙Language and facilitation moves for discussing disability respectfully and safely

Teachers will leave with ideas, routines, and reflection prompts they can use immediately, so Black History Month instruction (and beyond) becomes more accurate, more human, and more inclusive for every learner in the room.