ICTFL Scholarship for Future World Language Educators

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ICTFL will award at least one $1000 scholarship to a high school senior planning to pursue a career as a World Language teacher and at least one $2000 scholarship to college-level students who will complete student teaching in World Language during the 2026-2027 academic school year.

* All applicants for both of these scholarships must be Illinois residents and be attending an Illinois school as an undergraduate or graduate student.

ICTFL will consider applications from students who plan to becoome dual language or bilingual teachers as well.

Additionally, the Lionel E. Smith Scholarship for future African American Language Teachers was established through the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. A scholarship of $1000 will be given to an African American senior in an Illinois high school who plans on attending an in-state or out-of-state college/university to become a language teacher. This award will be renewable each year as long as the student continues to make progress toward becoming a language teacher. ICTFL will administer the scholarship. See the ICTFL Scholarship page for details as available.

All high school applicants must have completed at least 3 high school years of World Language study or have earned a Seal of Biliteracy.
All college students must have completed at least 3 college semesters of World Language study prior to applying for the scholarship.
- For university students, half of the $2000 scholarship will be given at the start of student teaching and the second half upon completion of student teaching. Students who receive a scholarship in high school may apply again while in college.
All scholarship recipients will receive a complimentary ICTFL membership for one year and free registration to the ICTFL Fall Conference.

Applications are due February 1, 2026.

The ICTFL Scholarship Committee will announce the scholarship recipients in April 2026

2025 Future World Language Teacher Recipients

We are very happy to announce the recipients of the ICTFL Scholarships for Future World Language Educators in Illinois. One high school senior, Isabell Kraus will receive an ICTFL $500 scholarship, and three university students, Ava Abbott, Khalil Barahaoua, and Andrea Magaña will receive the ICTFL $1000 scholarship.

Isabell Kraus, a senior at Carbondale Community High School in Carbondale, will be attending University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign in the fall. Describing what sparked her interest in studying Spanish, she says, “I fell in love with the language through music I discovered on my own. I spent the summer learning the lyrics to various songs, which required me to study more advanced grammar and techniques to truly understand them.”	Ava Abbott is a student at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She credits her teachers with awakening her interest in studying Spanish. “My Spanish teachers, in specific, always focused on making their classroom environment fun, inclusive, colorful, and positive. To me, learning Spanish is not just about opening a linguistic door, but broadening perspective, and respecting and admiring cultural differences.”	Khalil Barahaoua is completing his junior year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Khalil volunteered his time helping bilingual students with their reading and writing skills. Reflecting on this experience, he writes, “I enjoyed this work and found that, when these students succeeded, I felt like I could celebrate their victories with them. This feeling was like no other and I decided that, …. it was my calling to become a high school bilingual social studies teacher.”	Andrea Magaña attends the University of Illinois Chicago. She sees her role as a teacher as an extension of her own identity. “My sister and I grew up being first generation daughters of immigrants, grew up with the colorful and rich culture of Mexico, grew up with Spanish being our first language. I love my culture and it's ultimately a part of my identity. I want to teach Spanish to native speakers so they can learn so much more than they already know. I want them to find a new love and respect for themselves in their journey with Spanish, being bilingual, and finding a newfound appreciation for their culture."

Congratulations to all the winners. We wish you the best as you pursue your World Language studies and your career choice!

Past Recipients

2024 High School Scholarship Winners were Savannah Amatyleon and Madeleine Pool.
2024 College Scholarship Winners were Sarah Hansen and Candelaria Barrientos Jimenez. Avery Pierre who studies Spanish at Illinois State University is a Lionel E. Smith Scholar.