Connect, Learn, and Engage: Community Interviews in the Classroom

Join NYS TESOL for an interactive webinar exploring how community interviews can transform language learning into authentic, meaningful engagement while strengthening connections between schools, students, and their local communities.

Community interviews offer an inquiry-based way to connect classroom learning with students’ lived experiences while supporting language development, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement. In this session, participants will explore a simple, step-by-step framework for designing and implementing a community interview project, along with ready-to-use resources, student examples, and strategies that can be adapted across grade levels and instructional contexts.

Participants will also have time to brainstorm and develop a classroom-ready project tailored to their own students and communities. Looking for a meaningful back-to-school activity? This is a wonderful opportunity to help students get to know their communities, build relationships, and begin the school year with curiosity and purpose.

The project can also be adapted for the NYS TESOL Student Projects Contest, with submissions due September 20, giving students an authentic audience to celebrate their learning, multilingualism, and community connections.

September 4, 2026
4:00–5:00 PM Eastern
1.0 CTLE hour — Members Only

Register today: NYS TESOL Webinar Registration

We hope to see you there!