Christine Leider M.A. ‘09, Ph.D. ‘15 is driven by a personal mission to address the absence of bilingual education in her own childhood. From her academic journey at the Lynch School of Education and Human Development to her current role as an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, she is now leading a transformative initiative supported by a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. This initiative aims to train multilingual individuals as certified bilingual educators, fostering a future where language diversity is celebrated in educational settings.
“I grew up without the opportunity to have bilingual education, so it's important to me to try and work with communities to have that—to have those opportunities.”
Christine Leider M.A. ‘09, Ph.D. ‘15
Leider and part of her research team
Driven by a passion for unraveling the intricacies of language development in school children, Leider began her academic journey at the Lynch School. Initially pursuing an M.A. in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology, she quickly became motivated to pursue a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction to further explore the dynamics of this field, with a special focus on bilingual education.
At the beginning of her doctoral degree, Leider was introduced to Professor Patrick Proctor, whose expertise in bilingualism, language learning, literacy, and curriculum and instruction aligned perfectly with Leider's interests. This introduction opened the doors to the world of academic research for her. As his research assistant, she had the opportunity to work on an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) grant in partnership with the University of Maryland, where Leider learned the impact of collaborative research in studying language learning and development among students.
Today as an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Leider’s dedication has culminated in securing a prestigious $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
“We're taking a community cultural wealth approach. By looking at multilingual communities and identifying what are the linguistic resources they have, and what are those barriers educators face to become certified bilingual teachers.”
Christine Leider and Paula Merchant '92
With this five-year grant, Leider will lead a team to train 90 multilingual individuals who are currently teachers, education paraprofessionals, community members, or high school students, to become certified bilingual educators in the Commonwealth. Leider will study and support the Southeast Regional Bilingual Hub, an established partnership between Bridgewater State University and the City of Brockton—where nearly half the student population speaks a language other than English at home. This partnership offers a four-course graduate program that leads to state endorsement as a bilingual teacher. This collaboration allows Leider and her team to learn from experts in this space and work alongside them to provide accessible opportunities for students, including ESOL classes and individualized mentoring with bilingual endorsement coaches, including Paula Merchant '92 (Curriculum and Instruction).
“Recognizing the great work already happening in the Southeast Regional Bilingual Hub, supporting that, expanding it, and learning from that, is a critical part of new program development.”
While studying the Southeast Regional Hub, her team will develop a similar program to establish a Merrimack Valley Bilingual Hub, building on UMass Lowell’s “Grow Your Own” teacher education programs. This initiative will engage UMass Lowell and the Lowell and Lawrence communities, mirroring the efforts in Brockton, where nearly half the student population speaks a language other than English at home. With grant funding, Leider plans to offer comprehensive support to students and paraprofessionals pursuing their bilingual endorsement, including tuition-free courses, financial assistance for course materials, and pathways coaching.
As Leider embarks on this five-year research project, her unwavering commitment to equitable education shines through. Leider’s work focuses on removing barriers to accessing students’ home language and celebrating children's diverse backgrounds every day in the classroom. Her efforts will not only positively impact the lives of bilingual students but also reflect her belief in fostering diverse and inclusive education.