Special Interest

Rising Enrollment in Russian Classes at Tucson High Schools

The Department of Russian & Slavic Studies (RSSS) is assisting in nurturing the study of the Russian language at two Tucson Unified School District high schools: Santa Rita HS and Sabino HS, both located on the city’s east side.

Since Fall 2007, when the program began with a first year class at both locations, enrollment has grown to over 90 students with three levels of Russian being offered at each school.

The Department of Russian & Slavic Studies has a service learning opportunity for its grad students and upper division undergraduate majors, whereby they go to the classrooms and assist the instructor, as well as serve as a bridge to the department and to the UA in general, as mentors, and as role models to students. Most of the university students have had at least one study abroad experience and/or have perhaps lived in Russia or Ukraine. They are all L2 learners, not heritage learners, of Russian.

The students from these high school classes have already begun to enter the Russian language program at the UA after high school graduation.

RSSS hopes to expand its association with the schools, whereby service learning opportunities for UA Russian students might expand to multiple high schools and middle schools, in social studies and/or history classes.

Contact Teresa Polowy, RSSS Department Head, for further information: 520-621-7342.