Carolina Parra Garcia

Affiliation

Leyden High School

Biography

Carolina is a dedicated educator and advocate for multilingual learners. As an immigrant and former ESL student, she has a personal commitment to bilingual education, understanding the challenges of adapting to a new country, education system, and language. With eight years of experience as a bilingual and ESL social studies teacher, Carolina focuses on integrating language development with social studies disciplinary content. In addition to teaching, Carolina serves as the Social Studies Department Chair, where she advocates for multilingual learners and supports teachers in implementing practices that address the needs of all students. In 2018, recognizing a gap in her predominantly Latinx district, Carolina co-developed Latin American Studies-a course designed to reflect the history, culture, and identities of students. Launched in 2020, the class has become a meaningful space where students explore their own identities while engaging with the Latinx experience in the U.S. Carolina also proposed, developed, and implemented Bilingual Global Studies and Bilingual Civics, helping multilingual students see their bilingualism as an asset. Carolina holds two master’s degrees, one in Teaching and Learning (specializing in ESL) and another in Instructional Leadership. Outside the classroom, she works to connect students with resources and scholarships, co-founded a club for undocumented students and allies, and leads presentations for families in both English and Spanish to support their involvement in their student’s education.