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Students in Santa Barbara High School’s groundbreaking Translation & Interpretation Pathway graduated with professional certificates that qualify them to enter the growing field of interpretation and translation. This innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) program celebrates the bilingual assets of Santa Barbara’s many native Spanish speakers and empowers students to transform their language skills into viable career opportunities. Santa Barbara High School’s Translation & Interpretation Pathway, led by teacher Alison Mendoza, stands as the first and only high school CTE pathway of its kind in the state of California.
“Developing this pathway has been a career highlight”, says Alison Mendoza. “By committing to offering a Translation & Interpretation program, we have reimagined Spanish course offerings and connected language learning to the world that surrounds students in a new way. Students receive Language Other Than English (UC A-G) credit for participating and put their language abilities into practice. Watching this year’s cohort leave their high school experience with various college options, a tangible career possibility, a deeper sense of who they are, and pride in their linguistic backgrounds aligns with why I wanted to become a teacher. The collaboration with our local community partners, the district LAU team, and higher education gives students opportunities that they often hadn’t imagined yet”…