Salish School of Spokane seeks to be a supportive partner for other endangered Indigenous language communities and learners.

2026 Alaska Fall Immersion Symposium

November 6-7, 2026 at:

Bristol Bay Native Corporation
111 W 16th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501 

Presented by Indigenous Fluency Now!, Salish School of Spokane, and Igiugig Village Council

Creating and Delivering a Successful Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System to Train New Fluent Speakers and Teachers

Click Here for Registration

Goal:  provide training for Indigenous language leaders, teachers, and program managers on how to develop and deliver a proven fluency transfer system that can be used to train new, advanced fluent speakers who are empowered to teach and live in the language to inter-generational use and transmission of Indigenous language.

The Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS) is a framework of curriculum materials, teaching techniques, ancilary materials, and instructional activities used to train new advanced fluent speakers, teachers, and parents. At Salish School of Spokane, our new fluent speakers make it possible for us to operate a full-immersion school serving students from 1 year old to 9th grade. We have more than 50 new fluent speakers of our language, and our youth are becoming fluent speakers and have high achievement in literacy, math, science, culture, physical education, music and art.

 2026 Alaska Fall Symposium participants will:

  • gain an understanding of effective community language revitalization strategies, how those strategies can be implemented to revitalize Indigenous languages, and how language revitalization work contrasts with the delivery of community language services;

  • gain a basic understanding of the constituent components and approaches of the Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS);

  • gain an understanding of the communicative approach and direct acquisition teaching techniques in language acquisition instruction;

  • experience and practice delivering material from an ILFTS Level 1 Language Module lesson in full immersion;

  • understand how to develop the ILFTS Level 1 Stories Module and deliver it in full immersion;

  • understand how to develop the ILFTS Level 2 Language Module.

2027 Winter Immersion Symposium

February 12-13, 2027 at:

Salish School of Spokane, 4125 N Maple Street, Spokane, WA

Presented by Salish School of Spokane and Indigenous Fluency Now!

Creating and Delivering a Successful Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System to Train New Advanced Fluent Speakers and Teachers

Click Here for Registration

Goal:  provide training for Indigenous language leaders, teachers, and program managers on how to develop and deliver a proven fluency transfer system that can be used to train new, advanced fluent speakers who are empowered to teach and live in the language to inter-generational use and transmission of Indigenous language.

The Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS) is a framework of curriculum materials, teaching techniques, ancilary materials, and instructional activities used to train new advanced fluent speakers, teachers, and parents. At Salish School of Spokane, our new fluent speakers make it possible for us to operate a full-immersion school serving students from 1 year old to 9th grade. We have more than 50 new fluent speakers of our language, and our youth are becoming fluent speakers and have high achievement in literacy, math, science, culture, physical education, music and art.

 2026 Alaska Fall Symposium participants will:

  • gain an understanding of effective community language revitalization strategies, how those strategies can be implemented to revitalize Indigenous languages, and how language revitalization work contrasts with the delivery of community language services;

  • gain a basic understanding of the constituent components and approaches of the Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS);

  • gain an understanding of the communicative approach and direct acquisition teaching techniques in language acquisition instruction;

  • experience and practice delivering material from an ILFTS Level 1 Language Module lesson in full immersion;

  • understand how to develop the ILFTS Level 1 Stories Module and deliver it in full immersion;

  • understand how to develop the ILFTS Level 2 Language Module.

Past Symposiums

 Salish School of Spokane has had success developing an effective fluency transfer system, the training of new advanced fluent speakers, and the establishment of a successful n̓səl̓xčin̓ immersion school.

Periodically, we offer Immersion Symposiums. These symposiums are fundraisers for SSOS, and offer training for other Indigenous language learners and communities. Symposiums are offered both at SSOS in Spokane, and on-site with hosting communities. The topics of our Immersion Symposiums change depending upon the needs and interests of participants. The focus of previous Immersion Symposiums have included:

  • How to develop and implement the SSOS Indigenous Language Fluency Transfer System (ILFTS)

  • How to establish, administer, and fund an Indigenous immersion school meeting Head Start, ECEAP, and K-10 standards in an Indigenous immersion school setting

  • Orthography and literacy theory and methodologies for Indigenous immersion schools

  • Culture-based science programming and curriculum for Indigenous immersion schools

  • Immersion math as a first focus of Indigenous language immersion instruction

  • ILFTS curriculum building from archival language recordings and resources