Family & Community Advancement
Page Navigation
- Office of Family & Community Advancement
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Areas of Work
- BPS Helpline
- Community Engagement
- Expanded Learning Opportunities and Partnerships
- Family Capacity Building & Support
- School Capacity Building & Supports
- School Choice & Registration
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Office of Language Access Services (OLAS)
- Current and Upcoming Events
- Office of Langauge Access Team
- Interpretation Request
- Translation Request
- TalkingPoints For Staff
- Telephonic Interpretation Services for Staff
- TranslateLive
- Feedback For Language Access Services
- Parent Site
- School Resources
- Veoci - How to request translation and Interpretation services
- Become a Vendor
Announcements:
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New Parent Website!
A new multilingual website to bridge language barriers and provide diverse families with better access to information and resources about language access services.
Link: https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/languageaccessservices/home
OFFICE OF LANGUAGE ACCESS SERVICES (OLAS)
What We Do
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The mission of the Office of Language Access Services (OLAS), formerly the Translation & Interpretation Unit, is to ensure families have meaningful access to all aspects, programs, opportunities, and services pertaining to their children’s education by providing a multitude of language services via internal and external resources to safeguard communications.
The Office of Language Access Services manages language access for the District. A large portion of this work entails coordinating translation and interpretation services to facilitate communication with parents/guardians whose primary language is not English. Please read our BPS memorandum, “BPS Office of Family & Community Advancements Translation & Interpretation Services Protocol,” for additional information. We currently translate into the 9 major languages of the District (other languages available upon request):
Arabic | Cape Verdian Creole | Chinese | French | Haitian Creole | Portuguese | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese
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REQUESTING SERVICES
Parents/Guardians: If you need translation and interpretation services, contact the main office of your child/children(s) school. If your preferred language of communication is other than English, the District/School must provide you with “Essential Information” in the language you specify. Page three of the BPS memorandum provides examples of “Essential Information” requiring translation & interpretation. In addition, please review the DOJ Fact Sheet that clarifies your language access rights.
Boston Public School Employees: Please request translation and interpretation services through our Veoci Request portal. Each school and office has its assigned set of requesters: the Principal/Headmaster, his/her designee (optional, must notify T&I Unit via email), the COSE, and the COSE’s secretary. Note that any language access work performed outside of the District’s established T&I protocol will be at the requesting party’s expense.
Click on the service below to learn more!
LINK FOR TRANSLATIONS LINK FOR INTERPRETATIONS LINK FOR TELEPHONIC (LIONBRIDGE) LINK TO TALKINGPOINTS
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Translation and Interpretation Toolkit for Staff:
The Translation and Interpretation Toolkit for BPS Staff is a comprehensive resource designed to empower educators and administrators in providing BPS parents equitable access to information and resources in a language they can understand. In today's multicultural society, schools often serve students who come from families that speak different languages at home. Many of our families are not proficient in English or do not speak English at all, presenting a unique set of challenges for effective communication and inclusion. This toolkit serves as a valuable guide, providing school district staff with essential information on available language access services, how to access the services, language access policies, best practices, information on relevant laws, regulations, and compliance requirements related to language access in education, and guidelines for developing and implementing language access plans within schools. It includes templates that can be customized to meet the specific needs of individual schools.
Language Access Tool-Kit for Families. To access the Toolkit, please click here.Language Access Tool-Kit for Families:The OLAS family toolkit provides information about the resources and services available to the Boston Public School District to support limited and non-English-speaking families. It also aims to raise awareness among families about the available language assistance services and resources, as well as the District's obligation to provide such services.
Arabic, Kabuverdianu, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese
Contact Us
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Bruce C. Bolling Building
2300 Washington St
Roxbury, MA 02119(617) 635-7967Office Hours:Monday-Friday
9 am-5 pmFor inquiries about translations or interpretations:General Inquiries:languageaccess@bostonpublicschools.org