OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 5, 2018) – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma has donated $10,000 to the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools to support three English learning programs. The funds will help equip Oklahoma City Public School (OKCPS) teachers to educate non-English speaking students and will support students learning English.

“Supporting students and families in which English is not the primary language is a challenge for OKCPS,” said Mary Mélon, president and CEO of The Foundation. “The district and The Foundation are committed to serving all OKCPS students. This donation will help open lines of communication between faculty, staff and our community.”

In the 2014-15 school year, over seven percent of Oklahoma public school students were English language learners, according to the U.S. Department of Education. As more Spanish-speaking families enroll in the district, teachers must learn how to educate non-English speaking students so all students have access to high-quality education.

“We are honored to make an impact on students and professionals,” said Ted Haynes, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. “We believe these programs will make a difference in OKCPS students’ lives and improve their education and overall wellbeing.”

The grant will fund:
• The Bilingual Teacher Pipeline Project, which provides funding for tuition and teacher certification for paraprofessionals already working in OKCPS
• Spanish classes for OKCPS employees
• English-as-a-second-language classes for OKCPS families