LAKE PLACID — The Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund at Adirondack Foundation has awarded $53,329 in grants to 21 classrooms across the Adirondack region.

AFLEF awards grants annually to support innovation in French and Spanish classrooms and elevate the status of language educators in the teaching community. This year, funding supported everything from cultural immersion trips to professional development opportunities for teachers.

“My parents started this fund in 2012 because they believe that language is the most powerful tool for connection,” said Mark Luthringshauser, a member of the AFLEF selection committee. “In a world that can feel increasingly divided, foreign language education offers students a unique opportunity to build understanding, appreciate and embrace diversity, and develop skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Our family is passionate about creating opportunities for Adirondack students to explore new ways of thinking and communicating.”

Schools and school districts that received AFLEF grants this year include AuSable Valley, Beekmantown, Boquet Valley, Indian Lake, Keene, Lake George, Lake Placid, Lake Pleasant, Little Peaks, Malone, Remsen, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Schroon Lake, St. Agnes School, Ticonderoga, and Tupper Lake.

To learn more about the Adirondack Foreign Language Enhancement Fund at Adirondack Foundation, contact Leslee Mounger at leslee.mounger@adkfoundation.org.

For more information about Adirondack Foundation, visit adirondackfoundation.org.