Seattle Language Academy needs $126,000 to stay open

The Fremont-based Seattle Language Academy, a leading provider of evening foreign-language instruction, says it must raise $125,000 within the next month or shut its doors for good.

Executive Director Marc Mariani laid out the bad news Tuesday to a group of about 40 staff members and students. He said the nonprofit organization stopped paying most staffers two weeks ago and must quickly come up with cash to avoid becoming another victim of the bad economy.

The academy, which started in 1996 employs about 10 full-time and 20 part-time instructors, as well as half-a-dozen administrative staff members. Mariani said only one person has left as a result of not getting paid.

Until last year, about 450 students, most of them working adults, took 15 languages. But this year, the number of students has fallen to about 300.

Mariani told the group he remained hopeful a last-ditch fundraising effort would enable the academy to survive the summer and to scale back operations in time for the start of the fall quarter. In just a few days, he said it has raised about $14,000.

He said many of the academy's students take classes to prepare for trips abroad. But both study and travel have become luxuries that many people can no longer afford.

"Let's hope it doesn't lead to fewer people studying languages," he said. "With all the international trade here, it's very important for people to make an effort. We can't assume that English will be understood by everyone."

The academy is the latest Seattle institution to cut back language offerings.

The University of Washington, thanks to a change in its language requirement, plans to reduce the number of seats offered in first-year Spanish, Italian and French by up to 2,500 this fall.

And Seattle Central Community College has cut several language classes.

Zander Westendarp, who is studying Spanish at the academy, said he'd started there in the fall after Seattle Central stopped offering the evening instruction he needed.

"It's been absolutely excellent," he said.

Instructor Yasmina Mobarek, a native of Paris with a doctorate in French literature from Yale University, said she loves the academy's cultural immersion — including language conversation groups, wine tastings, movies and concerts.

Many events are held at the adjoining Café Babel.

"I think all the instructors who stayed are remaining faithful to the ideals of this school," she said. "We are contributing our own effort and time."

Mariani said if the academy doesn't survive, any raised money will go toward staff wages.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com