Celebrating Language Justice: Highlights from Our Interpreter Training Program!

We’re thrilled to partner with Noemi Gonzalez-Rocha, a Licensed Trainer from The Community Interpreter International®, to bring you this week-long in-person certificate program. Join the training program to deepen your understanding of language justice and best practices for interpretation in community settings.

Program Highlights
Throughout the training, participants engaged in:

Proficiency testing to assess language skills
Interactive role-plays to build real-world interpretation confidence
Practical exercises designed to strengthen language access and promote communicative autonomy

At the heart of this program was the recognition that true language justice goes beyond translation — it’s about ensuring everyone can fully participate in the conversations that impact their lives, on their own terms.

Through guided discussions, hands-on practice, and thoughtful reflection, participants explored what it means to not just provide interpretation, but to support autonomy in communication.

Acknowledgments
This program would not have been possible without the incredible efforts of our HLC team. A huge shout-out to Paola Arellano-Rosales and Crystal Franco for ensuring every logistical detail was handled seamlessly — from coordinating materials to creating a welcoming environment for all participants.

A heartfelt thank you to Noemi González-Rocha, a Medical/Community Interpreter International® Trainer, for leading this program with expertise, insight, and passion.

And of course, a special thank you to every student who participated — your dedication to advancing language justice is inspiring!

Thank You to Our Supporters
We are deeply grateful to Sobrato Palo Alto for generously providing the space for our week-long training. Your support helped create a welcoming and comfortable environment for our participants to learn and connect.

Looking Ahead
This training is just one step in our commitment to fostering language justice throughout San Mateo County. Stay tuned for future programs and opportunities to get involved.

Take a look at some of the moments captured from the training!

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Watch the info session here