In June 2025, I had the pleasure of participating in a truly insightful professional development program focused on equipping language educators with the tools and strategies to implement effective project-based learning within language acquisition contexts. This summer institute, hosted at Yale University and run by the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), was an invaluable experience that helped me deepen my understanding of how to create dynamic, student-centered learning environments.

The main highlight of this professional development for me was the opportunity to design a comprehensive project, and I chose to develop “The Beauty of the Pen: An Exploration of Arabic Calligraphy”. This project aims to engage elementary Arabic Heritage language learners actively and effectively with the artistic aspects of the Arabic language at this proficiency level. The core idea is to introduce students to the history and different styles of Arabic calligraphy, allowing them to appreciate its aesthetic beauty and practice basic calligraphy techniques. Like all PBLL projects, the authentic, real-world purpose provides a powerful motivation for students, allowing them to represent their artistic talents and skills. Furthermore, the project is designed to serve the community by collaborating with the university and local communities.

While I have not yet implemented “The Beauty of the Pen,” I plan to do so next semester. The project is carefully designed to develop students’ language learning skills, with objectives across interpersonal, interpretive, presentational, and intercultural communication. The overarching learning goals of this project are to immerse elementary heritage language students in the artistic and cultural dimensions of the Arabic language through the practice of calligraphy.

Engaging with this professional development and developing this calligraphy project was truly a pleasure. It provided me with a robust framework to design impactful language learning experiences that are not only academically rigorous but also deeply engaging, culturally enriching, and community-oriented. I am excited to see “The Beauty of the Pen” come to life and witness my students connect with the Arabic language in such a beautiful and meaningful way.