Thousands of miles long, the famous Silk Road once extended from Europe to China, traversing much of the Middle East and Central Asia on its way to the legendary riches that lured countless merchants and adventurers from the West.

The most famous of these, Marco Polo, noted in the book, “The Travels of Marco Polo,” that he knew four languages (probably including Mongolian, which he used to find work in the court of the Great Khan). If you weren’t Marco Polo, though, you likely had to rely on the services of an able translator to ensure that you weren’t misunderstanding information...or, worse, being swindled.

Today, millions of modern travelers have made their way to our shores, seeking the American dream, fortune and opportunities akin to those that once drew explorers to the court of Kublai Khan and other equally distant and exotic destinations around the globe.

Their Silk Road, though, is not a ribbon of compacted dirt winding through the sands of Central Asia. For them and their children, the path to opportunity winds primarily through our schools. And as they navigate the mazes of paperwork and policies that can frustrate even English-speaking families who are familiar with our school system, they need a translator of their own.

For school systems working to meet the administrative needs of our country’s increasingly diverse immigrant population, Para-Plus Translations is here to help.

Translation services from Para-Plus are available to school districts to make information accessible in a wide range of languages. We handle Spanish, of course, but can also convert student handbooks into Mandarin, lunch menus into Hmong and field trip permission slips into Hindi or Creole.

English Language Learner (ELL) students face unique challenges. They often are forced to become de facto “expedition leaders,” guiding their parents and family members who do not speak or read English through a new world which they themselves are only just learning about. Educators are working hard to provide translation services in schools, recognizing the importance of ensuring that non-English-speaking parents have access to the same information and updates as English speakers, which enables them to better support their children’s education.

Para-Plus’ experienced linguists are mostly native speakers who take personal pride in producing documents that can be reliably understood by their fellow immigrants to the United States. In addition, many have specialized training or experience in specific fields, from special education to technical and legal documents such as lawsuits. Para-Plus proudly stands by the integrity of their work.

ELL students often are vulnerable to the consequences of school-related misunderstandings. Para-Plus Translations ensures that the routine, necessary operations of school administration do not inadvertently become an obstacle to those students’ aspirations. They have a long journey ahead of them on their own American Silk Road. Para-Plus can help educators ensure that their time in school is a welcome stay in an entrepot of opportunity.