Amanda Seewald is the owner of MARACAS Language Programs and Learning Kaleidoscope Educational Consulting. She is the author of the MARACAS curriculum and Easy Reader series. MARACAS publishes innovative curriculum materials and music to enhance language instruction and learning.
Amanda is President of the Joint National Committee for Language - National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS). She is the 2020 NECTFL Nelson H. Brooks Award winner for Outstanding Leadership in the Profession. Amanda is a past President of the Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey (FLENJ) and the N.J. State Representative for the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL). She has also served on the NECTFL board. Amanda also serves on the Board of Directors for the Pulsera Project. She is a speaker of Spanish, French, and Japanese.
Amanda has been teaching children, coaching educators, and developing curricula for over 20 years. Her expertise is in multilingual/multicultural curriculum and instruction, focused on early language learning as well as dual language immersion education. Amanda works with educators and schools across the country as well as in Europe to develop meaningful language programs founded in globally engaged curricula and strong interactive instruction. Amanda is a regular presenter at national, regional, and state conferences.
As an advocate for language education, Amanda works with federal and state legislative offices to garner support for legislation and funding. Her advocacy work in New Jersey led to the signing of the Seal of Biliteracy into law in 2016. It is Amanda’s hope that through engaging and dynamic language programming we will have a multilingual future for all children.