Five College Consortium launches LangMedia website

AMHERST — LangMedia, the Five College Consortium’s online collection of learning resources focusing on less-commonly taught languages, has a new website. Funded by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation, the redeveloped site offers free, high-quality language-learning tools in dozens of less-commonly taught languages.

For example, someone who wants to learn Twi, a language of Ghana, can watch a video in Twi of someone ordering fish in a market in the city of Accra and follow along with the Twi and English transcripts. Or a student of Urdu can access 60 detailed study guides designed for self-directed learning.

Thousands of online resources support the study of 46 languages on LangMedia, which are now much more easily navigated in the website. More new resources will be added in the upcoming months, including course syllabi in 10-plus additional languages.

Visit the website: langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia was originally developed in the 1990s to offer videos, audio recordings, and other resources to support independent language learning. It’s become an important tool of the Five College Center for World Languages, which instructs hundreds of students each year from Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Ellsberg initiative at UMass to feature speech by activist-in-residence

AMHERST — The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy will host a public lecture, “UMass to Sunrise: Building the Youth-Led Movement for Climate Justice,” with its 2025 activist-in-residence, Varshini Prakash, on Feb. 26, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Prakash has been a leader in the climate movement for more than a decade and was a co-founder and the former director of the Sunrise Movement, which organized thousands of young people in the fight to stop climate change, create millions of good, union jobs, and build racial equity through a Green New Deal.

She is a UMass grad in the Class of 2015 where she was involved with the fossil fuel divestment campaign. As part of her residency, Prakash will be on campus Feb. 24-28, and will visit with departments and classes, hold office hours, and lead a workshop for student activists.

Her public lecture will offer insights on building the climate justice movement and responding to the current political moment.

The Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy is inspired by the life and legacy of Daniel Ellsberg (1931-2023), the legendary whistleblower who released the Pentagon Papers to the press and public in 1971. In 2019, UMass Amherst acquired Ellsberg’s voluminous papers. They are archived at the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, widely known for its world-renowned holdings chronicling activism for peace, democracy, and social justice.

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Hadley presented with MIIA Risk Management Award

HADLEY — The Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association, Hadley’s insurance provider, presented the town with a Risk Management Award in recognition of its commitment to workplace safety and compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

The award was presented at Connect 351 during MIIA’s Annual Business Meeting held on Jan. 25 in Boston.

MIIA commended Hadley for consistently maintaining compliance with both Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards and OSHA guidelines. Hadley’s employee-led safety committee meets regularly to identify key concerns and implement strategies to mitigate risks related to property and professional liability. Additionally, the town demonstrates its commitment to employee safety through safety training programs and has hosted several MIIA regional training courses for other municipalities.

Molly Keegan, chair of the Hadley Select Board, acknowledged Sue Glowatsky for her leadership in building the team that has implemented these standards.