EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETING:
Building Bridges Between Schools, Students, and Families
A 14-Module Online Course for Educational Interpreters, IEP and IFSP Teams,
Speciaalists, and Parents
Strong communication changes lives in schools.
When an educational interpreter, ateacher, a therapist, and a parent all understand each other, students get the support they need to grow. This course teaches you how to make that happen.
Classes starts July 21, 2026
Reserve Your Seat Today!
>>>or scroll down to learn more
14 Online Modules
7 Weeks Self-Paced
Final Exam
Certificate Available
Based on Real School Scenarios
Why This Course Matters
Every day, families and school staff sit down to make important choices about a child's education. Sometimes the family speaks a different language. Sometimes the team includes a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a school psychologist, and a parent who has never been in a special education meeting before. The conversation gets complex fast.
An educational interpreter helps everyone in the room understand each other. But to do that well, the interpreter needs special training in school systems, special education law, and student culture. And the people working with the interpreter, the teachers, therapists, case managers, and parents, need to know how to work with an interpreter so the message stays clear and
accurate.
This course brings both groups together. It gives interpreters the tools they need to do this work well. It also gives parents and school professionals the knowledge they need to make every meeting count.
Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for two main groups of learners.
Future Educational Interpreters
Expand your interpreting career into educational settings.
School Professionals
IEP Teams, IFSP Coordinators, Teachers, Administrators, Therapists, Psychologists.
If you are an interpreter who wants to expand your career into schools, this course will prepare you to work in IEP, IFSP, and ARD meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and other school settings. You will learn the laws, the language, and the skills you need to serve students and families well.
Please note: To enroll at this tier, you must show proof that you have completed a 40-hour healthcare interpreter training course. This makes sure you start with strong general interpreting skills.
This course is also for the team members who sit at the table with interpreters. That includes:
IEP team members and case managers
IFSP coordinators and early intervention staff
Speech-language pathologists
Occupational therapists
School psychologists
Teachers, administrators, and ARD facilitators
You will learn how to prepare for meetings with an interpreter, how to speak so your message comes through clearly, and how to support strong communication for every family you serve
Parents are the most important member of any IEP or IFSP team. This course will help you understand your child's rights, what to expect at meetings, and how to work with an interpreter so you feel confident and heard. Parents enroll at a special low rate so this knowledge is within reach for every family.
What You'll Learn
Across 14 modules, you will build a clear understanding of:
How educational interpreting is different from healthcare or court interpreting
The Code of Ethics for educational interpreters
How the U.S. education system is set up, who does what, and how schools are funded
Key special education laws, including IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA
The IEP, IFSP, and ARD process from start to finish
How to handle emotional, sensitive, and complex conversations with care
Cultural competency and how to serve families from many backgrounds
Practical pre-session and post-session habits that make every meeting smoother
Course Format
14 modules delivered online, on-demand
7 weeks of guided learning at your own pace
Quizzes after each module to check your understanding
A final exam to confirm what you have learned
Real role-play scenarios drawn from real school meetings
Lessons led by a skilled lead trainer and built around real-world examples
Proven Results From Our Pilot Program
In December 2024, we delivered this training to interpreters in the Fulton County School
System. The results speak for themselves.
87.5% of participants said the course exceeded their expectations.
The other 12.5% said it met their expectations.
100% of participants rated the instructor as Very Effective in explaining key
concepts and materials.
87.5% of participants felt very well prepared for real-world interpreting scenarios after
the course.
Nearly all participants rated the role-play scenarios as realistic, with 75% calling
them very realistic and relevant to their work.
87.5% of participants said the course materials, including the textbook and
glossaries, were very helpful.
Participants reported strong confidence in applying the interpreting skills they learned
right after the course ended.
Participants said the most valuable parts of the course were the role-play exercises, the presession
preparation, and the real-world focus of every lesson. These same strengths are built
into the course you will take.
Pricing
Participants said the most valuable parts of the course were the role-play exercises, the presession preparation, and the real-world focus of every lesson. These same strengths are built into the course you will take.
A note on the textbook: The textbook is a strong support for your learning. For parents and school professionals, it is offered as an optional add-on at $97. For future Educational Interpreters, the textbook is included in the course price along with a Certificate of Successful Completion.
The 14-Module Curriculum
Here is what you will cover over the seven weeks of the course:
Meet the Course Creator
Berthine Crèvecoeur West, MA, EMBA, CDE®
Course Creator, Lead Trainer, and Author of Fundamental Principles of Educational Interpreting
Berthine Crèvecoeur West built this course from more than two decades of work in interpreting, education, and language access. She is a globally recognized expert who has trained interpreters, advised school systems, and helped organizations build stronger bridges across language and culture.
Her credentials speak to the depth she brings to every module:
Retired Nationally-Certified Healthcare Interpreter (CCHI)
Professionally-trained Legal Interpreter and Interpreter Trainer
Former President of the Medical Interpreter Network of Georgia (MING)
Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®)
Executive MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology
Master's degree in Government and Politics from St. John's University
Berthine wrote the course textbook, Fundamental Principles of Educational Interpreting, to give
interpreters and school teams a clear, practical guide to the work. Her teaching style is built on
real-world examples drawn from real meetings, with deep respect for the families and students
at the center of every conversation.
She is also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences across the United States and around the
world. Her work has been featured on CBS, NBC, Fox, and on many podcasts focused on
education, equity, and language access.
This course was born from two deep parts of Berthine's life. The first is her lifelong love of the
professional and credentialed interpretation process, where every word, every cultural cue, and
every pause matters. She believes that real interpretation is a skilled profession, not a casual
favor, and that families deserve trained experts at the table when important decisions are being
made.
The second is more personal. Berthine is the mother of a special needs school-aged child. She
has sat on the family side of the table at school meetings. She has felt the weight of those
rooms, the hopes that come with them, and the difference it makes when every person in the
room truly understands one another. That experience shapes every lesson in this course.
Her goal is simple and powerful: to help teachers, therapists, school staff, and parents learn
how to work properly with a professionally-trained interpreter. When that partnership works the
way it should, it creates pathways for beneficial and transformational outcomes for the child, for
the parents, and for the school team supporting them. That is what this course is built to deliver.
Why This Course Works
Most interpreter training covers general skills. This course goes deeper into the specific world of schools. You will learn the exact terms, laws, and meeting types you will face in real school settings. You will also practice with real scenarios drawn from real meetings, including special education meetings, parent-teacher conferences, and behavior support discussions.
For school professionals and parents, this course offers something even harder to find: a clear,
plain-language guide to how interpreters work and how you can help them do their best work for
your students and your children.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need any special background to take this course?
It depends on which tier you choose. Parents of children with disabilities or special needs and school professionals (such as IEP and IFSP team members, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and school psychologists) can enroll without any prior interpreter training. If you are enrolling at the Future Educational Interpreter tier, you must show proof that you have completed a 40-hour healthcare interpreter training course.
2. How long do I have to finish the course?
The course is built to be completed within a 7-week window. Because it is online and ondemand, you choose when and where you study. Most learners spend a few hours each weekworking through one or two modules, taking the quizzes, and reviewing the role-play scenarios. You move at the pace that fits your life.
3. What do I get when I finish the course?
Future Educational Interpreters who pass the final exam receive a Certificate of Successful Completion along with the course textbook. Parents and school professionals receive a strong, lasting understanding of how to work with professionally-trained interpreters in IEP, IFSP, ARD, and other school settings. The textbook is available as an optional add-on for $97 at those tiers.
4. Why should parents and school staff take an interpreter training course?
Working with an interpreter is a skill of its own. When teachers, therapists, case managers, and parents know how to prepare for a meeting with an interpreter, how to speak clearly, and how to respect the interpreter's role, every conversation gets stronger. This course gives the people around the interpreter the tools they need to make every meeting count for the student at the center.
5. What if I have a question during the course?
Each module includes clear learning materials, real-world examples, and role-play scenarios designed to answer the most common questions as you go. Quizzes after each module help you check your own understanding before moving on. If you run into trouble or need support, our team is available to help you through the platform.
Enroll Today
Choose the tier that fits your role and join a course built on proven results. Strong communication in schools is not a nice-to-have. It is what makes equal access to education real for every student and every family.
This is an online, on-demand virtual training course.
That means you do not have to rearrange your work schedule, miss family time, or travel to a classroom. You log in when it works for you, move through the 14 modules at your own pace across the 7-week window, take the quizzes when you are ready, and complete the final exam from the comfort of your home or office. This flexible format makes the training easy to fit into a busy life, which is exactly what most parents, school staff, and working interpreters need.
Reserve your spot now and start building the skills that will serve students for years to com
Questions? Reach out to our enrollment team for help choosing the right tier for you.