Partnerships & Training Services include the work we do with the Mayor’s Constituency Offices, including the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA), Mayor’s Office on African Affairs (OAA), and Mayor’s Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs (OAPIA). These government agencies help support their communities, including MCS events like the Annual Translators’ and Interpreters’ Professional Development Workshop and, based on the available resources, other workforce development initiatives.
DC’s Language Access Law of 2004 states that residents are entitled to any and all civic services in their native language. This includes mayoral neighborhood visits, local government town hall meetings, parent-teacher conferences in public schools, and more. MCS helps bridge that gap in language access to give those who don’t speak English as their native language a voice in the ebb and flow of the city. We are also partnering with an expert in the field who is helping us to develop a Cultural Competency Curriculum that we will offer in a certification program. Other partnerships include American University’s Public Policy Capstone Projects, University of DC’s online curriculum development, AYUDA’s Advisory Board as a member, and the DC Language Access Coalition’s Executive Board.
Training Services include the Interpreter Training. We have several courses planned for the coming year – join our mailing list to stay up to date on when classes will be offered!