Expanding Language Immersion at SFUSD: Honoring Dr. Lois M. Meyer

Spark is proud to have partnered with the San Francisco Foundation, to support the expansion of language immersion at SFUSD.  This builds on SFUSD’s national leadership in dual language education and responds to demand for high-quality multilingual programs by expanding access to Chinese dual language immersion (DLI) instruction.  To help guide this effort, Superintendent Dr. Maria Su will retain the support of former SFUSD principal Liana Szeto, who founded Alice Fong Yu K-8, the nation’s first Chinese Immersion public school.

Support was made possible by the Lois M. Meyer Fund at the San Francisco Foundation. Dr. Meyer was a Professor Emerita and former chair of the Department of Language, Literacy & Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico. Prior to UNM, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary Education at San Francisco State University. As a strong advocate for and researcher of second language acquisition, bilingualism and bilingual education, as well as teacher preparation and curriculum development for linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms, she directed her bequest for the advancement of bilingualism and language diversity in Bay Area public education.

Dr. Meyer’s life’s work lives on through her bequest, sustaining Spark’s mission to preserve and enhance public education as an option for all San Franciscans. If you are interested in learning more about making a legacy gift to Spark SF Public Schools , please contact Colm Hegarty, Development Director, at hegartyc@sfusd.edu  or (415) 377-0976, or learn more about other ways to give here.