2025 KSWLA Conference in Manhattan, KS

Each year at the conference, the Annual Business meeting is held. You can find the meeting minutes here: 2025 Annual Business Meeting Minutes

The Annual Conference, Proficiency in a Globalized World, was held in Manhattan this year hosted by Kansas State University. We welcomed two keynote speakers, Dr. Susana Ibarra - Johnson and Joshua Cabral.

This year's conference hosted over 25 sessions from teachers all over the state of Kansas. We thank them for their time, effort, and willingness to share their classroom experiences.

2025 World Languages Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Elke Lorenz, German teacher at Manhattan High School on being named our 2025 Teacher of the Year! Elke will represent Kansas at the 2026 Central States Conference in Chicago this coming March.

2025 Best of Kansas

Each year, conference participants share their feedback about the sessions and the Best of Kansas session is selected. This year, we are pleased to announce that Melissa Clark, World Language Coordinator in the Blue Valley School District for her session Cultivating Human Connection and Communication Through World Languages. Congratulations, Melissa!

The Alexander Award for Pre-Service Teachers

Congratulations to Dylan McConnell-Curry on being awarded the Alexander Award. This award was established in 1998 to be awarded annually to an outstanding future Kansas language teacher, a student currently enrolled in a formal teacher-training program or fulfilling his/her professional semester. It is in honor of Dr. Loren Alexander (1930-2017), who taught FL methods and German for many years at Kansas State University.

The Garinger Scholarship for High School Students

Congratulations for Elle Billinger on being awarded the Garinger Scholarship. One $500 scholarship is awarded each year in honor of Ermal Garinger, a long-time leader of the association and dedicated member of the profession, who touched many lives through his teaching and service at the University of Kansas. The candidate must be an outstanding Kansas high school senior who will enroll in a language class their freshman year at an accredited college or university OR a graduated former student who is currently a freshman and enrolled in a language class at an accredited university.

2026 World Languages Teacher of the Year

Congratulations also goes to the KSWLA 2026 Teacher of the Year, Rebecca Werthmann. Rebecca will represent Kansas in at the 2027 Central States Conference in Lansing, Michigan!

*Central States is changing the timeline for TOY submissions in order to make it a more equitable process for all of the states in the region. Beginning with the 2027 Conference, all TOY submissions will be received one year in advance.

Goodbye to our outgoing board members!

With the close of the 2025 conference, the KSWLA Board has said goodbye to the Past-President Dr. Marta Silva, Secretary Billie-Renee Knight, and Advocacy Chair Elke Lorenz. We thank them for their service to the profession, as well as all of the hard work they put in during their term.

Welcome to our three new board members!

As we say goodbye to Dr. Marta Silva and Billie-Renee Knight, we also welcome some new members to the board. Welcome to Karen Gipson as our new Vice-President, Amanda Mendoza as our new Advocacy Chair, and Amanda Benavidez-Williams as our new secretary.