Partnership marks two decades supporting English language learners through Colorín Colorado

Guest author Giselle Lundy-Ponce has detailed the journey of Colorín Colorado, an online resource hub aimed at providing educators of English language learners (ELLs) with essential resources. Initiated in partnership with WETA’s Learning Media Department, the project has grown significantly since its launch in 2005 by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

At its inception, Colorín Colorado catered to a modest audience of 400 visitors, primarily focusing on literacy instruction for Spanish-speaking ELLs. Today, it boasts over 3.5 million visitors and offers resources across the PK-12 range for ELLs from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

The collaboration between AFT and WETA began when Lundy-Ponce joined AFT in 2000 and recognized a gap in resources for educators dealing with ELL issues. "When we initiated the partnership with WETA, we knew that what we produced together was going to be immensely beneficial to the field," she stated.

Colorín Colorado's expansion involved commissioning content from prominent researchers and establishing an advisory board of experienced educators. The aim was to develop high-quality content addressing best practices for ELL education. This collaborative effort included notable experts such as Diane August and Kenji Hakuta.

The project's success is attributed to this foundation of expert input combined with practical insights from veteran practitioners. "Every year since then our partnership has been fruitful beyond what we originally conceived," Lundy-Ponce noted.

Looking ahead, there is hope that Colorín Colorado will continue evolving and providing valuable content to support educators and families of ELLs for another two decades.