Eau Claire
Though not as populous as other areas, Eau Claire is home to significant refugee, immigrant, and especially Hmong populations. The school district offers a lot of unique opportunities for students to interact with language and culture.
English Learner Landing Page // About 400 students in the district are classified as ELs
Less-Commonly-Offered Languages
In addition to French, German, and Spanish, ASL and Japanese are also offered.
Dual Language Immersion
ECASD wrapped up their first year of DLI last school year. Programming currently goes up to 5th grade, with aspirations to extend it further in coming years.
Listen to my interview with Brianna Smit to learn more!
Language and Culture Clubs
In addition to the perhaps more common Spanish, French, and German clubs, both high schools offer Japanese, North offers Hmong, and Memorial offers ASL and Native American clubs.
Culturally-Relevant Courses
Eau Claire high schools offer language and culture courses that are fairly unique compared to other high schools. Since these courses are less common, there is additional work required by the teachers and district to create content and make them available. But, allowing students to see their backgrounds and interests reflected in course material is a big step towards creating a school environment that doesn’t just accept, but embraces and celebrates differences.
World Cuisines
World Studies
The Vietnam War
Hmong History and Culture
Image Credit: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM30690