American Latvian Association (ALA) The American Latvian Association (ALA) is the main representative organization for the Latvian American community. ALA has over 160 member organizations, and some 6,000 individual members, representing over 100,000 people of Latvian descent living in the United States. ALA headquarters are based in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. World Federation of Free Latvians The World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brivo latviesu apvieniba) represents all central Latvian organizations outside of Latvia, including the American Latvian Association. Its headquarters are located in Rockville, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. University of Washington - Latvian Studies The teaching of the Latvian language, as well as Baltic Culture and Baltic History, is offered through the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. Baltic Studies Summer Institute - Intensive Latvian at UCLA - Summer 2008 The Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI) at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) is offering courses in Basic Latvian and Intensive Elementary Latvian from June 23 - August 15, 2008. American Latvian Youth Association (ALJA) The American Latvian Youth Association (ALJA) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1951. Its mission is to unite, support and maintain Latvian youth in the United States. ALJA members are between the ages of 18 and 35.