At the upcoming CLADES Conference (Belgium) from February 25-26th, Dr. Esther Bettney Heidt (MLRC SchooL Network Researcher) will facilitate a workshop titled “From Ideology to Action: Designing Equitable Language Policy in Practice.” Drawing on the collaborative expertise of the MLRC School Network’s Language Policy Working Group, this workshop introduces a 7-stage framework designed to help schools navigate the complexities of policy development—from building local language profiles to defining a vision that resists dominant, restrictive ideologies. By focusing on a systematic, research-informed process, the session demonstrates how schools can develop language policies aligned with their values and informed by their community.

This work is part of a larger center-wide focus on investigating how language policy functions as a tool for equity across diverse educational contexts. By sharing applied examples from the MLRC network, the workshop offers a roadmap for cultivating language awareness and building more inclusive, multilingual school communities.