The ACTFL Future Teacher Scholarship Program provides merit-based funding to undergraduate students and graduate-level students committed to pursuing the language teaching profession in languages other than English Language Arts.
Undergraduate scholars receive an annual award of $1,500 per academic year, renewable to a cumulative total of $6,000 per recipient. Graduate-level scholars receive an annual award of $500 per academic year, renewable twice to a cumulative total of $1,000. Both levels also receive a complimentary ACTFL membership during and for one year following their participation in the program.
This was the first year that current graduate students have been eligible to apply, and we are happy to have 15 undergraduate and 15 undergraduate students in this newest cohort!
Students in the Entering Cohort
Home States Represented
Languages
Meet the Scholars
The eighth class of Future Teacher Scholars hail from 18 home states and plan to teach nine languages—including Arabic, English as a Second Language, French, German, Hmong, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Spanish.
These future educators have already begun to use their skills as tutors, teaching assistants, researchers, substitutes, interpreters, and more. They count among their many achievements creating their own language learning conversation groups and volunteering with local organizations on advocacy projects for refugees, immigrants, and speakers of other languages, earning their State's Seal of Biliteracy in five different languages (French, German, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish), and being recognized as participants in programs like the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Summer Scholars Program, the Critical Language Scholarship, and Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards.
Congratulations to the 2026 Cohort of Teacher Scholars!
My desire to become a world language teacher not only comes from my passion for language learning, but also from the passion of the teachers who inspired me along the way. Their dedication, energy, and the relationships they built with students showed me what kind of educator I want to become.”
- Apollonia, NY – English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Griffin, VA – French
- Isabell, IL – Spanish
- Isabella, OH – Spanish
- Jocelyn, WI – Spanish
- Judith, ND – German, Spanish & Russian
- Karla, IL – French
- Kiri, MN – Mandarin Chinese
- MaKayla, TN – Spanish & English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Maya, NC – French, German & Mandarin Chinese
- Noelle, MN – Spanish
- Ryan, DE – Spanish
- Saawan, TN – Arabic
- Samson, CT – Latin
- Vanessa, GA – Spanish
Knowing a world language is a superpower. Teaching a world language means developing that superpower in the next generation of global citizens. This is my dream job!”
- Ani, CA – French
- Cambre, MA – Spanish
- Cici, NY – Spanish
- Dana, MN – Spanish & English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Deby, GA – Spanish
- Eleni, PA – English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Georgia, VT – German
- Hui-Chun, PA – Mandarin Chinese
- Joselyn, IL – Spanish
- Joseph, MN – Spanish & French
- Ka Zoua, MN – Hmong
- Maggie, NY – Mandarin Chinese & English to Speakers of Other Languages
- Miah, WA – German
- Nicole, MD – Spanish
- Stephany, WA – Spanish
To me, teaching German means bringing culturally enriching experiences and diversity to learners who have never known what it is like to travel. It means teaching cross-cultural empathy and intercultural communication in a globalized world, even to students who may never leave the United States. It means nurturing creative expression, curiosity, communication & problem-solving skills in my students, providing a creative outlet through which they can express their identities. These are transferable skills and experiences for all learners.”
Sincere thanks to all applicants who expressed interest during the 2026 application period, as well as the dynamic group of language educators who carefully reviewed applications to select our recipients.
We thank 2026 Selection Committee chair Kei Tsukamaki and members Nathan Campbell, Andrea DiBenardo, Robyn Brinks Lockwood, Serafima Gettys, Karla O’Donald, Toby Tamarkin, Madeline Turan, and Nico Wiersema for their service and dedication to supporting future teachers.
Do you know a future language teacher?
Visit our Teacher Scholarship Program page to learn more about this program, sign up for our newsletter, and stay tuned @ACTFL @LangConnectsFdn for updates about the Scholars as well as the call for applications in Spring 2027.