By: Dr. Russ Shughart
ATA’s emphasis on outreach and engagement as part of its coalition advocacy effort provides opportunities for ATA members to learn more about stakeholders in the broader language business.
One such stakeholder in the defense language community is the DLI Foundation. Established in 2011, the DLI Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that includes the DLI Alumni Association. As a wholly independent entity that is not part of the Department of Defense, the DLI Foundation serves all students, both current and former, as well as the staff and faculty of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) (located at the Presidio of Monterey, California); the DLI Washington Office and its Contract Foreign Language Training Program (CFLTP); and DLI-affiliated Command Language Programs and satellite locations. The Foundation strives to create programs and services in support of DLI’s training mission by promoting foreign language education for industry, government, and public education.
The DLI Alumni Association has nearly 700 members, all of whom attended DLI world language acquisition programs in preparation for employment as language-capable personnel, linguists, language analysts, translators, and interpreters. Annual membership for DLI class years prior to 2019 is $19.41 (the defense language program was founded in 1941) and at no cost for DLI attendees of later years. Membership in the DLI Foundation includes decals indicating “2024 DLI Alumni Association Member”; advanced notifications and invitations to alumni social events around the country; DLI Foundation assistance in planning regional gatherings; access to the biannual newsletter; and notifications and links to The Globe magazine.
The DLI Foundation’s flagship event is the annual DLI Alumni Weekend, set this year for 6-9 November in Monterey. The agenda includes multiple social activities as well as visits to the Presidio of Monterey for formal engagements with the DLIFLC Command Staff (including the Commandant, Provost, and Command Historian), guided classroom observations, Presidio tours, and group photos. This year’s gathering includes a ceremony to commemorate the upcoming Veterans Day. Registration for the DLI Alumni Weekend is now open, and the event is offered at no cost to participants: https://www.dlifoundation.org/2024-alumniweekend.
For more information on the DLI Foundation, feel free to contact me at russ4ata@yahoo.com. Details on the DLI Foundation are available at https://www.dlifoundation.org/ and via its longstanding social media site at https://www.facebook.com/DLIFoundation/.