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4 <br /> <br />ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 9, 2004 <br />Action Age~a <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Contract with Chapel Hill Institute for Cultural and Spanish Language Education <br />for Employee Spanish Language Training <br />DEPARTMENT: Personnel PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Spanish Language Training Agreement Kathleen Goodhand, 245-2556 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider approving a contract with the Chapel Hill Institute for Guttural and <br />Spanish Language Education (CHICLE) to provide six standard levels of Spanish grammar and <br />conversational Spanish training ranging from beginning to advanced for Orange County <br />employees. <br />BACKGROUND: In accordance with the Board of County Commissioners Hispanic/Latino <br />Relations Goal: "To assess and respond to the needs of the growing Hispanic/Latino population <br />in Orange County, the County expanded and implemented a more intensive Spanish language <br />training program for employees in addition to the Cultural Diversity and Cultural Awareness <br />Building training also provided. <br />Since 1997, the County has contracted with a number of different vendors to provide basic <br />Spanish language training to employees. To expand and increase the number and level of <br />Spanish language classes taught so that employees could progress to the advanced level, the <br />County began looking for local vendors that could provide Spanish language training at all <br />levels to both individuals and groups. Last year, the County contracted with the Chapel Hill <br />Institute for Cultural and Spanish Language Education (CHICLE) for employee Spanish <br />language training. CHICLE provides six standard levels of Spanish grammar and <br />conversational Spanish, including beginning, basic, intermediate, advanced intermediate and <br />two levels of advanced conversation. <br />Along with these expanded class offerings, employee interest and participation in Spanish <br />language classes has increased as several employees took the opportunity to participate in <br />multiple classes. Nineteen employees now have advanced their Spanish language skills to the <br />Intermediate and Advanced level. <br />Employee feedback and class evaluations regarding the quality of classes taught by CHICLE <br />also was extremely positive. CHICLE is a locally owned business, located in downtown <br />