Building on a long history between Davidson College and Davidson Elementary School, the Spanish program is currently in its fifth year.  This year we’ve changed our name from FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) to SiDES (Spanish in Davidson Elementary School). The reasoning for this name change is that the program is not part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system curriculum, as the name FLES implies; Spanish is the only language taught in the program; and, Spanish is one of the least foreign of the world languages spoken in the US.

In our program, weekly Spanish lessons are taught in 1st through 5th grade classrooms at DES. The Davidson College students participating in the program include: majors or minors in Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies, as well as many other departments; students who are returning from abroad; students who speak Spanish at home; and, Spanish-speaking Bonner Scholars.  Some participants are concurrently enrolled in the fall course: SPA 311-Teaching Spanish at the Elementary School.

This program is possible thanks to the support of all the former and current volunteers as well as the continued support and enthusiasm from the teachers and administrators at Davidson Elementary. ¡Muchas gracias!

Questions? Please contact Dr. Kyra A. Kietrys, Professor of Hispanic Studies at Davidson College.