International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) – a free public K-12 charter school with 13 campuses in the Houston area, including College Station and Liberty County – has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Department of Defense.
The Department of Defense awarded more than $18.6 million in FY24 World Language Advancement and Readiness Program (WLARP) grants to 14 school districts across 11 states.
The FY24 WLARP grants, totaling more than $18.6 million, were awarded to 14 school districts to help expand or establish innovative world language programs in different languages, including German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish.
Schools will be able to use the FY24 WLARP funds over the course of three years, starting in fiscal year 2024. The grants were awarded in September 2024, with funding available through 2027.
This is the third time ILTexas has received a WLARP grant. ILTexas will use the $2 million to pilot an Advanced Chinese Language course focused on fine arts content and one new martial arts course integrated into its physical education program. Research shows that incorporating fine arts and physical movement into learning enhances language acquisition, and ILTexas is excited to offer these new courses to its students.
At ILTexas, Mandarin Chinese is a required course for all students. With over 25,000 students, ILTexas has the largest number of students in the United States learning the national security language.