“Bienvenidos, welcome,” reads a sign as you enter the Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy in Hartford, Connecticut.
“Not just for me, I think of a lot of our educators when we think about why we are in education, this bilingual program answers a lot of those questions, about how to engage students, about how to ensure equity for all,” Tony said. Dávila, director Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy.
Dwight Bellizzi began offering bilingual studies to students during the pandemic through Open Choice.
Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, applications will also be open to families living in the Hartford metropolitan area through the Regional Office of School Choice, also known as RSCO.
RSCO gives parents the power to choose a school or program for their children to attend outside of their home district.
“Now, the transition to the RSCO program really opens up a wide variety of potential students for us and really creates more opportunities for additional families from the suburbs and other areas,” Dávila explained.
This fall, Dwight Bellizzi will become the first and only interdistrict bilingual magnet school in the greater Hartford area. The school already offers Pre-K – 3rd grade through Open Choice and now with RSCO, the school will accept Pre-K and kindergarten students from more than 40 cities.
The goal is to add one grade level each year and build the bilingual program to middle school.
“As we get older, we’ll get better at what we do, the research will become clearer, and we’ll really accomplish something special with our students,” Dávila said.
Over the years, RSCO has seen an increase in demand for a bilingual program.
“We’ve had families that are very interested in wanting to prepare their children for early college, preparing for high school,” said Shola Freeman, RSCO education consultant.
Dávila said that research shows there are several benefits to becoming bilingual and biliterate, including language proficiency and cultural responsiveness.
“These kids enter college or the job market with a cultural command that some of their peers may not have,” Dávila said.
Jianelley River enrolled her daughter and son in the program and said that growing up in a bilingual home helped her in her career. She hopes her children will share the same success.
“It opens a lot of doors for them, a lot of opportunities when you speak two languages or more,” Rivera said.
Classes begin on August 29, but families can apply through RSCO until September 15. You can find more information here.
