STARTALK Home Page

STARTALK is a federal grant program funded by the National Security Agency with the goal of increasing the number of speakers, teachers, and curriculum for less commonly taught languages. From 2008 to 2024, the Language and Applied Research Center (LARC) at San Diego State University (SDSU) has offered a variety of programs through STARTALK, including:

• Student camps for middle and high school students 
• Professional development programs for world language teachers of less commonly taught languages 
• Content development through infrastructure grants for Persian, Dari, and Swahili

These programs have provided engaging and fun opportunities for both heritage and novice students in our region. Currently, there are no active SDSU-LARC STARTALK programs.

If you are interested in summer language camps for students, please check our Diagora Summer Camps. If you are a language teacher seeking research-based and standards-based professional development programs, explore our SAILN offering.