A small group of students stands in a circle in the Highland Park Elementary School gymnasium, singing “duck, duck, goose” in Turkish and erupting in laughter as a student drops a scarf behind her peer and a chase ensues. They’re led by a group of three volunteer instructors from Indiana University, who not only teach the students of varying ages the language, but also make sure they all stay engaged and feel included in the activities.

The Turkish club at Highland Park is part of the Bridges: Children, Languages, World program at IU, where student volunteers teach less commonly taught languages to K-6 students at several schools in Monroe County. The program is a collaboration among the Title VI National Resource Centers in the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and the School of Education.

Read more about the program at News at IU.