April 13, 2017

Spanish and French Professors Rita De Luca Guerriero, Marie Leticée, Amelia Lyons, Anne Prucha, and Kacie Tartt have come together to create the UCF-Hillcrest Foreign Language Club.

Starting Spring 2015, this partnership has allowed UCF and Hillcrest Elementary school students to practice and refine their Spanish and French language skills together while engaged in academic activities.

Hillcrest Elementary, located in the Eola Heights-Mills 50 neighborhood, is Orlando’s Foreign Language Academy. The school is designed to give students the opportunity to become bilingual, and it is home to an incredibly diverse student body.

The faculty coordinators are currently seeking to establish the club as a service-learning program so that students may use their service hours to gain credit towards the UCF Service Learning certificate.

The current program offers an immensely beneficial experience on its own. Students who volunteer can gain invaluable educational and professional experience by learning to collaborate, becoming bilingual, and helping their community. Participation in the club will allow students to enhance their resumes, scholarship and graduate school applications, and communication skills.

To get involved, interested students must be enrolled in a 3000-level or higher Spanish or French class or equivalent course, and must become OCPS Additions.

Once approved, students may contact a faculty coordinator:
Professor Rita De Luca Guerriero: [email protected]
Professor Marie Leticée: [email protected]
Professor Amelia Lyons: [email protected]
Professor Anne Prucha: [email protected]
Professor Kacie Tartt: [email protected]

Elementary Students seated on the ground, participating in a food-related activity.
Students watch and listen as program participants read them a book.