Did you know that Canyons District has some of the most extensive language immersion offerings in Utah? Twenty-one elementary and secondary schools offer dual-language immersion programs in Spanish, French, or Chinese — and it’s nearly time to apply to enroll for the 2022-2023 school year. 

The start of October signals the opening of the window to apply for CSD’s popular Dual Language Immersion Programs. Parents and guardians can apply online anytime from Monday, Oct. 4, 2021 to Nov. 23, 2021.

In addition, families interested in learning about these programs are invited to attend an informational meeting for parents. The meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021 from 6-8 p.m. in the Canyons Center at the Canyons District Office, 9361 S. 300 East in Sandy.

Please note: Students with siblings who are currently enrolled in one of CSD’s DLI  schools must still submit applications by the Nov. 23, 2021 deadline. A lottery will be held to determine entrance into the programs if the number of applicants exceeds the 56 seats available per entering class.

On the application, parents will be asked to list their top three choices for placement. Parents will be notified of their children’s offer for placement into a program or placement on a waitlist by Jan. 7, 2022. All, but the program offered at Midvale Elementary, are for students entering first grade in 2022-2023.

The program at Midvale Elementary starts in kindergarten. Due to the fact that enrollment at Midvale Elementary is at-capacity, that school’s program is only open to students who live within the school’s boundaries.  Applications for Midvale’s Dual Language Immersion program will be handled through the school.

Spanish is offered at Alta View, Altara, Midvalley and Silver Mesa. French is offered at Butler Elementary and Oak Hollow. The schools offering Mandarin are Draper Elementary, Lone Peak, and Ridgecrest.

Immersion programs, a model of bilingual education dating back to the 1960s,  are surfacing in classrooms around the globe as an efficient path to proficiency in a world language. Elementary students in dual language immersion programs spend half the day learning core subjects in English and the other half learning in a target language. 

CSD’s first immersion classes opened in 2009, the same year that the District was founded. More than 10 percent of CSD’s 34,000 students are now learning a world language through the program, which extends through high school. Students who pass an Advanced Placement exam in the 9th or 10th grades can start taking college-level courses for early college credit.

Questions? Call the Instructional Supports Department at 801-826-5026.