Creating EAL Inclusive Schools and Classrooms Through the Language Friendly School Program

In today’s increasingly multilingual classrooms, schools must adopt inclusive approaches that recognize and celebrate the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of their students. This professional development session introduces educators and school leaders to the Language Friendly School (LFS) Program, a global initiative founded in 2019 that supports multilingualism through a whole-school, bottom-up approach. Led by Emilie Giroux, who launched the first Language Friendly School in Alberta, this session will explore the core principles of the LFS framework, offering practical strategies to create a learning environment where every student’s language and identity is valued. Participants will engage with examples from the global LFS network, learn how to co-develop a Language Friendly School plan with their own school community, and gain access to a growing library of multilingual and intercultural resources. 20 Participants