CARLA's Summer Institutes have provided high-quality professional development for language teachers since 1996. An internationally known program, CARLA links research and theory with practical applications for the classroom. Each summer institute is highly interactive and includes discussion, hands-on activities, and networking opportunities. "CARLA summer institute participants—more than 7,900 to date—have come from every state and countries all over the world. They have included foreign/world language, ESL/EFL, heritage language and immersion educators at all levels of instruction, as well as program administrators, curriculum specialists, and language teacher educators."