The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is making grants to a handful of schools around the country to institute an Arabic language and culture curriculum at the middle school level. Arabic studies at these schools would be mandatory:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/…arabic-classes
This is creating some controversy, but it raises an interesting possibility whether Arabic studies, even at this early age, may provide exciting career opportunities down the line.