A new five-year cooperation agreement between Portugal and the State of California was formally signed on February 3, 2026, marking a significant step in strengthening Portuguese language and cultural education within California’s public school system.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Sacramento between Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, I.P., Portugal’s public institute for international cooperation and the promotion of the Portuguese language, and the California Department of Education. The ceremony took place at the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Portugal was represented by Consul General Filipe Ramalheira of San Francisco, who signed the agreement on behalf of Camões, I.P. President Ambassador Florbela Paraíba. On the California side, the Department of Education was represented by Deputy Chief Superintendent Ingrid Roberson, acting on behalf of State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. Also in attendance were João Caixinha, Coordinator of Portuguese Language Education in the United States, and Duarte Pinheiro, deputy representative of the Portuguese Language Education Coordination in California.

Rather than a symbolic gesture, the agreement establishes a formal framework for expanded collaboration over the next five years. It explicitly recognizes English and Portuguese as key languages of communication and intellectual exchange across economic, scientific, historical, and cultural fields, and affirms a shared commitment to educational cooperation in a multilingual and multicultural society.

According to officials involved in the process, the agreement is the result of sustained diplomatic, technical, and pedagogical coordination. Portugal’s diplomatic and consular network in the United States played a central role in advancing negotiations, while the Portuguese Language Education Coordination in the U.S. provided strategic alignment, curricular expertise, and ongoing liaison with California education authorities. Momentum toward finalizing the MoU accelerated during a series of meetings held in June and October 2025 with California Department of Education officials responsible for multilingual education initiatives.

The MoU is particularly notable within the context of California’s education policy. The Department of Education indicated that this is only the third memorandum it has signed with a foreign country or governmental public entity, underscoring the state’s selective approach and its growing emphasis on international cooperation and multilingual education. Superintendent Thurmond has repeatedly emphasized his goal of fostering a school system that reflects California’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

For Portugal, the agreement provides a more stable and coordinated foundation for promoting Portuguese language and culture in U.S. public schools, especially within California’s vast K–12 system. For California, it opens additional pathways to support heritage language learners and to expand access to global languages within public education.

Officials from both sides indicated that efforts are now underway to ensure broad public visibility for the agreement and to move quickly toward implementation. Planned next steps include presenting concrete initiatives and educational supports, and continuing engagement with California educators, academic institutions, and the Portuguese-American community to maximize the agreement’s impact.

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