Nicola Work, OWLA President 2026-2027
Associate Professor of French, University of Dayton
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! As your OWLA president, I’m excited to kick off the year and share all of the wonderful things we have planned for you—from in-person workshops, online meetups, and professional development to a one-day mini conference and our full conference in fall 2027. And that’s not all…we have an exciting year ahead!
Gather & Grow: OWLA Fall Workshops
Join us October 24 at Buckeye Valley High School for a day of in-person professional development. Choose “Assess with Finesse” or “Hands-on AI Tools” for the morning workshop, followed by “Five Activities, Countless Options” or “Coaching & Collaboration” in the afternoon. Find more information and the registration link here.
Beginning Teacher Meetups
New to the profession? Our Beginning Teacher Meetups are designed specifically for teachers in their early years. Join us online throughout the year for sessions on topics such as starting the year off right, classroom management, and more.
OWLA Mentorship Program
Teachers in their first five years can be paired with an experienced teacher for mentorship and support during those important early years of their teaching career.
Spring Mini Conference
Spend a day learning, exchanging ideas, and connecting with fellow language teachers at our spring mini conference. Keep an eye out for the call for proposals and more information.
Fall 2027 Conference
Save the date: October 21–22, 2027! Our two-day conference will feature presentations, workshops, a keynote speaker, awards and scholarship celebrations, a president’s reception, social time with colleagues, and so much more.
The Cardinal: OWLA’s Newsletter
The Cardinal features articles on teaching, learning, technology, advocacy, updates about the profession, curricular innovations, action research, and other topics of interest—written by OWLA members, for OWLA members.
If you haven’t written an article for The Cardinal yet, I encourage you to give it a try! Articles are short and sweet and offer ideas and perspectives relevant to language teachers.
Awards: Let’s Celebrate Great Work!
Our awards celebrate those doing great work in the field of language education—including teachers, professors, researchers, and administrators. Nominate a colleague for a teaching, service, publication, or distinguished career award, or nominate an outstanding administrator or friend of world languages for an OWLA award.
There are so many to choose from—let’s recognize excellent educators!
Scholarships: Help a Colleague Attend
OWLA offers scholarships for pre-service teachers, beginning teachers, and first-time attendees to attend the conference. Encourage your colleagues to apply and experience an in-person conference, meet fantastic colleagues, learn from fellow educators, and take away plenty of excellent ideas for their own classes.
Advocacy: Be a Language Champion
Learn about language advocacy initiatives in Ohio and across the U.S. Get involved in efforts to save language programs, encourage continued language study, and become a language champion.
Advocacy happens everywhere: in your own classroom, at the regional level, and nationwide.
OWLA Member Discounts
Being an OWLA member comes with benefits, including reduced pricing at LTI for the AAPPL Test and reduced pricing for Idioma courses.
Stay in the Loop
Don’t miss what’s happening with OWLA! Join our Google Listserv, bookmark our website, follow us on social media, and read the bimonthly newsletter for upcoming events, advocacy news, and anything else you shouldn’t miss.
Get Involved!
There are so many ways to be part of OWLA. Write a Cardinal article and share something you do in the classroom. Submit a proposal to present at one of our conferences. Join an OWLA committee. Attend workshops and presentations. Nominate a colleague for an award or encourage them to apply for a scholarship. Join the OWLA board.
Whatever your role, there’s a place for you in OWLA.
And finally, invite a friend to join OWLA! We can’t wait to welcome them—and you—to an exciting year ahead.