Joint National Committee for Languages encourages eligible districts to apply now
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) recently announced that the FY26 World Language Advancement and Readiness Program Grants (WLARP) will range from $500,000 to $2,000,000 per award to eligible school districts over up to five years, depending on the size of the eligible student population. Applications are now open and must be submitted by April 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
WLARP grants are intended to support the expansion of K-12 world language education programs in Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that, as defined by state law, serve military-connected schools. Eligible schools have military-connected enrollment of 10% or more in the past academic year and have a current or pending JROTC unit. In addition, the grants “must establish, improve, and/or expand one of the Strategic Languages” (includes Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Arabic, Portuguese, Russian—see full list below).
Funded projects may include early language learning initiatives, dual-language or immersion programs, expanded course offerings, and the integration of language instruction across academic subjects. Programs that leverage technology to broaden access to language learning are also encouraged. DoDEA places particular emphasis on the use of language as a national defense mechanism. DoDEA states that “introducing elementary and secondary students to world languages is critical to developing and sustaining the pipeline of individuals with skills needed to address national security and economic competitiveness needs.”
Click here for a pre-recorded assistance webinar.
For more information regarding WLARP grants, the application process, and sample submissions, review this Notice of Funding Opportunity: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KARC_HxuUgU0bO7G0UAbes0i7TgSfR-1/view?usp=sharing
To apply, visit: https://www.grants.gov.
Funding Opportunity Number: HE125426R5000
Assistance Listing Number: 12.556 Competitive Grants: Promoting K-12 Student Achievement at Military-Connected Schools:
Deadline: Friday, April 24th @ 11:59 pm ET
Approved List of Foreign Languages:
- AMHARIC
- ARABIC
- BURMESE
- CHINESE
- FRENCH
- GEORGIAN
- GERMAN
- HAUSA
- HEBREW
- HINDI
- INDONESIAN
- ITALIAN
- JAPANESE
- KOREAN
- KURDISH
- MALAY
- PERSIAN-AFGHAN (DARI)
- PERSIAN-IRANIAN (FARSI)
- POLISH
- PORTUGUESE
- PUNJABI
- PUSHTU-AFGHAN
- ROMANIAN
- RUSSIAN
- SOMALI
- SPANISH
- SWAHILI
- TAGALOG
- THAI
- TURKISH
- UKRAINIAN
- URDU
- VIETNAMESE