Priority 4: Raise Awareness
The success of the Indiana Language Roadmap will require a marketing and educational strategy that raises the profile of the project and its mission, articulates the needs for the initiative, and educates Indiana residents about the state’s many global connections and communities. An awareness campaign will need to start immediately. Clearly defined messages about Indiana’s diversity and the economic value and social benefits of world language skills and global competencies must be widely disseminated, using new and established networks and various mediums of communication. This campaign will raise awareness of existing resources, convey the international needs of businesses and other stakeholders, outline educational opportunities, and provide pathways for advocacy at the regional, state, and federal levels. Ultimately, this campaign will contribute to a diverse state infrastructure that is welcoming and that recognizes the importance of the state’s global identity.
4.1 PROMOTE A GLOBAL IDENTITY
Indiana already is global, but this identity is not widely recognized, explained, or promoted as essential to the strengths of its economy, education, and communities. By developing and disseminating engaging materials and data-driven findings, a message of a Global Indiana can demonstrate how Indiana’s global needs have local significance.
4.2 INCREASE ADVOCACY
To ensure continued funding, public engagement, and supportive policy frameworks for these proposed initiatives, the Plan proposes new forms of advocacy and increased communication and coordination between stakeholders and elected officials at all levels of government.
4.3 COMPILE RESEARCH
A need exists to better understand, distill, and communicate data-driven findings and existing resources to build support and make more compelling cases for the importance and value of language and global competency education for all ages and communities.
The success of the Indiana Language Roadmap will require a marketing and educational strategy that raises the profile of the project and its mission, articulates the needs for the initiative, and educates Indiana residents about the state’s many global connections and communities. An awareness campaign will need to start immediately. Clearly defined messages about Indiana’s diversity and the economic value and social benefits of world language skills and global competencies must be widely disseminated, using new and established networks and various mediums of communication. This campaign will raise awareness of existing resources, convey the international needs of businesses and other stakeholders, outline educational opportunities, and provide pathways for advocacy at the regional, state, and federal levels. Ultimately, this campaign will contribute to a diverse state infrastructure that is welcoming and that recognizes the importance of the state’s global identity.
4.1 PROMOTE A GLOBAL IDENTITY
Indiana already is global, but this identity is not widely recognized, explained, or promoted as essential to the strengths of its economy, education, and communities. By developing and disseminating engaging materials and data-driven findings, a message of a Global Indiana can demonstrate how Indiana’s global needs have local significance.
- Initiate a marketing and publicity campaign that promotes a Global Indiana and features “Stories of Success” about people who have contributed to their community and even improved their economic standing by being globally engaged
- Use established networks, creative media, and targeted infographics to reach diverse populations across the state
- Create a designation for “Global Communities” to recognize areas with policies, programs, and infrastructure development that support international engagement (with scalable metrics for different community sizes)
- Produce a report of best practices in policy and infrastructure that make Indiana an attractive, global, and diverse place to live and work
4.2 INCREASE ADVOCACY
To ensure continued funding, public engagement, and supportive policy frameworks for these proposed initiatives, the Plan proposes new forms of advocacy and increased communication and coordination between stakeholders and elected officials at all levels of government.
- Engage communities around the state in this work, such as using community forums to determine ways in which global competencies and world language learning support existing community priorities
- Work with officials and legislators at local, state, and national levels to strengthen the infrastructure for the acquisition of global skills
- Collaborate with organizations that have advocacy goals and programs
- Provide advocacy training across sectors
4.3 COMPILE RESEARCH
A need exists to better understand, distill, and communicate data-driven findings and existing resources to build support and make more compelling cases for the importance and value of language and global competency education for all ages and communities.
- Triangulate existing and new data to establish the global needs of sectors, regions, and the state
- Map existing resources by surveying schools, businesses, community organizations (including youth and faith-focused) and determine gaps
- Examine the lack of language instructional offerings and reasons for low enrollments