In recognition of her work as director of operations for the Language Exploration Enrichment (LEE) Spanish program in St. Johns County schools, Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach Executive Director Donna Guzzo was recently inducted into the Florida Foreign Language Association (FFLA) Hall of Fame at a conference held Oct.18-20 in Orlando.
The Florida Foreign Language Association is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to the study and instruction of languages and cultures, and each year, the organization awards foreign language educators and students throughout the state of Florida for their achievements, with the highest distinction being induction into the FFLA Hall of Fame. To be selected, however, an educator must have already received the organization’s Most Valued Teacher of the Year Award in five previous years.
A member of the FFLA since 2005, Guzzo had the privilege of being inducted alongside her co-director, Janet Robles, who serves as the director of curriculum for LEE.
“It’s a great honor,” Guzzo said, “and it was a lot of fun to be able to share that special moment with someone that I’ve been working with for so long. The two of us are the brains behind (LEE).”
LEE, which Guzzo and Robles founded in 2003, is an after-school Spanish program for elementary school students that encourages the exploration of world languages and cultures through intensive language instruction. Currently, the program is offered in 18 elementary and K-8 schools in the St. Johns County School District.
“The program is open to all St. Johns County Schools,” Guzzo said. “We’re a nonprofit, and the main goal of the program — outside of teaching Spanish with culture included — is to donate money back to participating schools. Once I pay my teachers and do my supply budget, the rest of the money all goes to the schools, and we’ve given the school district, in the last 15 years or so, over $150,000 now.”
Guzzo added that the success of LEE has been remarkable, as many of the program’s former students have gone on to study Spanish and international relations at the collegiate level, and some have also received FFLA awards for their achievements, including current student Madison Mecca, who this year received the Scholar of the Year Award.
“Throughout the 16 years,” Guzzo said, “one of the things that makes the program so great is the fact that a Scholar of the Year has always been part of Language Exploration Enrichment for 13 years of the 16. No one had ever won that award twice before, and here we are 13 years later, still bringing it home for St. Johns.”
LEE teachers have also been singled out for their success, like Marielus Carrillo, who this year was named a Teacher of Promise.
“It’s been a ride, with the 16 years, and there are so many people that you meet, so many instructors,” Guzzo said. “And they stay — we don’t have a turnover. Our average stay is about seven years, which is a lot nowadays, and a lot of them have gone into full-time teaching.”
To learn more about Language Exploration Enrichment and to view a full list of schools where the program is offered, visit www.leestjohns.pbworks.com.
