About
"There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in."
-Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Our Story
Helping Educators go UpRiver
One evening in 2021, Dana Gastich French came across the above quote from the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His words sparked the idea for UpRiver Education.
Since then, we’ve been asking ourselves: How can we “go upriver” in our work as educators of culturally and linguistically diverse students? How do we shift from focusing on downstream interventions to improving systems that prevent the need for intervention in the first place?
Our core belief is that multilingualism is the gold standard in education. We recognize that multilingual learners are uniquely positioned to make significant contributions to society, provided our pedagogy, curricula, and practices embrace these assets and embrace a multilingual norm. UpRiver Education is for districts, schools, and individuals ready to stop waiting at the end of the river to pull students from the rapids. We are a community that believes in our students, in their brilliance, and in the educators who support them to prevent them from ever being swept away.
Every day, we reaffirm our commitment to a systems approach to multilingual learner education, where the structures, skills and beliefs are in place for all students to reach their highest potential.
Reach out to discover how you can join our community today and #ThinkUpRiver.
Our values
Increasing Equity for Multilingual Learners
Multilingualism is the gold standard of education.
Professional Development should be full of clarity and joy.
Aligned educators and supported MLs contribute to a greater humanity.
A Note from Our Founder & Lead Consultant
Welcome to UpRiver—I’m glad you’re here! Today, I’m an education consultant with 2+ decades of experience (and wife and mom of 3!). But it doesn’t feel so long ago that I was a new ESL teacher in a K-8 building, trying to figure it all out. I was also very much on my own.
My founder story begins in 1998 when I spent a year in Santiago, Chile. There, I experienced what it’s like to live, learn, and express myself in a language that wasn’t my own. After earning a degree in Spanish and Modern Dance (Washington University in St. Louis) and a Master’s in neuropsychology (Boston University), everything came together when I was hired to teach ESL and bilingual education. I merged my love of culture, language, brain science—and even choreographed the school musical!
Throughout my career, I became a mentor teacher, an ESL coach, and eventually led a department of over 35 educators. Along the way, I saw the disconnect between each of these roles, and began to recognize the need for greater clarity and alignment across our systems and in our work as ELL educators.
As I advanced, I felt increasingly disconnected from the students who shared their stories over their grandma’s tahini and from the conversations with colleagues about day-to-day wins and challenges. So, I returned to my passion: training and coaching alongside educators. Each interaction brings new insights and growth, which I’m excited to share with you.
I truly believe that if we can see the path, we can walk it—together. Let’s reveal the potential of multilingual learners and the educators who guide them.
Where can UpRiver take you?
Dana Gastich French, Santiago Chile, 1998
Client Testimonials
Hear directly from our UpRiver Community Members!
Advancing Accessibility
"UpRiver Education has done phenomenal work to advance equity, accessibility and inclusion through their work with schools and districts. Their thought leadership has advanced my teaching strategies and caused me to be more intentional and impactful with my multilingual students."
Melanie B.
Incredibly Engaging
"UpRiver Education has always provided quality work. The programming is incredibly engaging and participants leave with many takeaways and lessons to bring back to their schools. The content has always proved to be extremely meaningful whether the educators are taken through case study scenarios or having small and/or large group discussions based on the presentation material. On another note, UpRiver Education’s presentation slides always look professional and visually appealing."
Amanda A.
Specialized Knowledge
"Dana Gastich French and her team bring deep experience and specialized knowledge in the field of ESL. They are responsive to work with and have always demonstrated a commitment to quality work. Dana understands the policies and regulations, bringing her direct experience in the field to her firm."