July 29, 2023

Farrah Littlepage, parent of an LSR7 student at Lee’s Summit Senior High School, was selected by the U.S. Department of State to be an Alumni Ambassador for English Language Programs.

As an Alumni Ambassador, Littlepage of Kansas City, Missouri will represent English Language Programs at conferences and events around the country over the following year. Littlepage is one of only 11 English Language Programs alumni selected for the 2023-2024 Alumni Ambassador cohort.

English Language Programs Alumni Ambassadors are a prestigious cohort of program alumni—Fellows, Specialists, and Virtual Educators—who are selected on an annual basis to promote the program by sharing stories of their exchange experience and their post-project careers. Selected alumni showcase the diversity and professionalism of the English Language Programs community.

Littlepage has been joyfully serving and learning from English Language Learners (ELLs) for 14 years and has worked in education for 20 years. She currently supervises the Grandview C-4 School District ELL program as English Language Development (ELD) Facilitator, and beforehand taught in a variety of settings, from a Montessori preschool to an Intensive English Program at the University of Missouri. As an English Language Fellow in Laos from 2018-2020, Littlepage was involved in teacher training at universities, teacher training colleges, and secondary schools. She has presented at international and regional conferences in seven countries. Her primary areas of interest are teacher training, pronunciation, and intercultural competence.

As ELD Facilitator, Littlepage is committed to supporting K-12 teachers through up-to-date, engaging, and relevant professional development. Her bilingualism and enthusiasm for connecting across cultures aids her in welcoming ELL parental involvement and in motivating teachers to promote positive cultural identity in students. Littlepage is delighted to serve as an Alumni Ambassador (2023-2024) for English Language Programs, promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences in global English Language Instruction. The week of July 1, 2023, Littlepage will join her cohort in Washington, D.C. for the Alumni Ambassador Kickoff. Littlepage says, “My experience as a Fellow was invaluable–professionally and personally. It will be an honor to guide highly qualified educators toward this opportunity for leadership development, intercultural understanding, and participation in US diplomacy. Educators who have returned to the US after a year of adapting to a new culture and educational setting will be better prepared to serve English Language Learners in our K-12 schools and universities, who often face the challenges of acquiring a new language, learning classroom content, and adjusting to a new culture simultaneously.”

English Language Programs places highly qualified U.S.-citizen educators in the field of TESOL on projects funded by the U.S. Department of State to assist U.S. Embassies in delivering English language programs and supporting public diplomacy and mutual understanding through cultural exchange. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, English Language Programs participants work directly with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities and other academic institutions.

For further information about English Language Programs or the U.S. Department of State, visit elprograms.org, call 202-632-6452, or e-mail [email protected].