Baltimore International Academy is a Public Charter School charted by Baltimore City Public School System. It is funded by the Baltimore City Public School System, Maryland State Department of Education and the United States Department of Education grant funds. The school is remarkable because it is one of a growing trend of schools in the United States that are language immersion schools dedicated to the education of the French, Chinese, and Russian languages to elementary aged children. The Coup had an opportunity to speak with the founder, Madame Kona-Facia Nepay. Along with managing and executively planning for Baltimore International Academy, Madame Nepay is also currently the Principal at Robert Goddard French Immersion School in Prince George’s County, Maryland, where she has full responsibility for that school’s French Immersion Program.

First, what inspires you?

The love of God inspires me the most, then the love of mankind and the desire to improve humanity through education.

What led you to the field of education?

My major in the college: French/Applied Linguistics. I knew that I loved languages, but I did not know that it would evolve and take me to where I am today.

Where do you get your entreprenuerial spirit?

I get my entrepreneurial spirit from the women in my family. My earliest memories of my mother include her home business that she ran. She made and sold different kinds of snacks: kagnia; a West-African dessert, coconut candy, country bread etc. She made a garden in her back yard every season and sold produce such as okra, water melon, and different kinds of greens. Also my eldest sister, who for a long time was the sole proprietor of White Swan Nurses Uniform.

What inspired the Baltimore International Academy?

BIA was inspired by Robert Goddard French Immersion School and my International Language Education background. In October of 1991, I responded to a newspaper ad which read: 'French Immersion Substitutes Needed." A product of Language Immersion, I was very intrigued by the advertisement. I responded and was hired as a substitute teacher. In August of the 1992-1993 school year I was employed as a French Immersion Teacher. For nine years I taught 2nd/3rd and 4th graders every subject through the medium of the French language. I later became the coordinator, assistant principal then finally the principal of the school this year. In language immersion schools/programs all the subjects are taught through the medium of a foreign language. Students thrive academically while accruing cultural and linguistic competencies. Because these programs challenge students to achieve at high levels, I was inspired to begin similar programs in other locations.

Are there many schools like it in the US?

Today there are many language immersion schools in the United States but most of them have one immersion language. Baltimore International Academy promises to be a rare model. At full implementation, we hope to have at least five immersion languages at one school. We began August 27, 2007 with two languages; French and Mandarin Chinese. For the 2008-2009 school year, we will be adding Russian Immersion and Spanish Immersion. Baltimore International Academy is the only language Immersion school in Baltimore City. It may well be the only Multi-lingual Immersion School in Maryland.

What obstacles have you faced in opening a school in the US? Why the US? Why not overseas?

The obstacles were manifold.....the physical plant (school building), qualified immersion teachers, and material in the target languages are just few of the many obstacles that we faced. Through the school is funded by grants from the federal, state and local governments, funds remain a major challenge. These types of schools are very expensive to run.

As a black woman, do you face opposition in your field?

The black woman will always face opposition, no matter which field she finds herself. However, because the field of education is dominated by women, the opposition is less than other fields.

What advice do you have for our readers?

I advise the readers to follow their dreams, no matter how big or small. I never thought that my desire to educate would lead to one day opening my own school. I’m sure that as a writer, you never thought that you would one day be able to publish the writing of others. You just loved to write, and you dreamed of making a difference. Everything begins with a dream. If you believe in what you desire to do and pursue it, no matter how inevitable the opposition, it will come to be.

For more information on BIA or language immersion schools in the US, visit: http://www.cal.org/resources/immersion/

www.baltimoreinternationalacademy.org