Founded in 1972, the Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking (CELT) is a nonprofit educational corporation, international in scope, whose members believe in the principles of education for democracy with a focus on natural language learning and inquiry. These principles are supported by beliefs in learners and learning, teachers and teaching, and language and curriculum. The members of CELT are dedicated to the improvement of education through a greater understanding of the relationship between language, thought, and learning. CELT includes a rich diversity of people who share similar beliefs about language and learning but have widely varied background experiences. CELT members are university educators, independent consultants, school administrators, and teachers.