Multilingual Mainers has given me the opportunity to use language to connect with the Brunswick community. I love getting to break out of the Bowdoin bubble and expose students to the kind of diversity present within their own community.
– Esther Fernandez Rosario ’23
Having grown up in a city where things like bus signage, flyers, and public announcements were usually displayed in at least four languages, I have appreciated being able to share a new language with students in Brunswick. Teaching Chinese characters has been especially fun, as many of them are derived from pictograms and students can quickly recognize the shapes that represent certain meanings, such as “up” and “down” or “person.”
– Luna Jiang-Qin ’25
– Grace Lee ’22
Multilingual Mainers has been one of my favorite programs; I was able to directly interact with kids who were all so eager to learn. Through this program, I learned that language is the key to a new world that many kids have not experienced before. Many Brunswick children did not realize that there are people who speak languages other than English in this world. Relying on our diverse student body at Bowdoin, Multilingual Mainers has developed into a program that allows Maine children to become familiar with many different cultures and customs from all around the world.
– Sean Xie ’21
It is easy to assume that preschoolers and kindergartners are incapable of understanding complex notions. We often “baby” students in these grades, overlooking their strengths and targeting their weaknesses. However, this past semester I witnessed Multilingual Mainers debunk that assumption. At Kate Furbish Elementary, I watched young students precisely pronounce sounds and letters non-existent in the English language. I also observed their outstanding ability to comprehend linguistic, cultural, and anti-bias concepts. Through its physically-engaging language lessons, read-alouds from BIPOC-featuring books, and puppet-play, Multilingual Mainers has established itself as an appropriate model for other schools in our increasingly diverse state.
– Mohammed Kilani ’21
Spending time with these kids bring so much happiness to my day; there have been multiple days when I have felt very overwhelmed by work, and after spending some time with them, I pretty much always leave with a wide smile on my face.
– Esra Park ‘21
Working with Multilingual Mainers has been an incredibly rewarding way to share my love of languages with the Brunswick community. Whether as a student teacher dancing to Spanish songs with my kindergartners or as a community course liaison recruiting enthusiastic new Bowdoin student volunteers, I continue to be motivated by the knowledge that Multilingual Mainers is making strides towards creating a better future in which all children can begin cultivating tolerance and understanding through early exposure to other cultures.
– Emily Pan ’22
Friday mornings with the kindergarteners are a highlight of my week! The kids always surprise me with their curiosity about Spanish and their willingness to engage.
– Satya M. Kent ’19
Volunteering with Multilingual Mainers has been an incredibly gratifying experience. The children blow me away with their insightfulness and willingness to learn and always leave me feeling refreshed and inspired. The simple act of broadening a child’s worldview through a new language is an enormous step towards creating a more curious, culturally competent generation, and it feels great to have a part in fostering this growth. I’ve always loved how languages can unlock such a deep understanding of another culture, and I’m so glad we’re encouraging this journey in young children.
– Kate Tapscott ’22