MILTON, Del. - Milton Elementary School students created museum-like displays during Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate and share the cultural insights they learned from Hispanic community speakers.
The displays, which highlighted countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, and Ecuador, were inspired by guest speakers who visited the school to discuss their experiences related to careers, language, and immigration. Some of the speakers included family nurse practitioner Ana Vargas, Delaware Department of State Director of Policy and Communications Rony Baltazar-López, and Delaware State Police Trooper First Class Elizabeth Zambrano. The project offered a meaningful connection for many students, some of whom share similar backgrounds with the speakers.
Marbeli Ortíz, a third-grade Spanish immersion teacher, expressed her pride in the students' work. "A lot of the students here have gone through experiences similar to the people that are coming and sharing. For them to be able to see and hear stories that are just like them makes them feel like they're part of the community too."
For third-grader Itzel Santos-López, the project was a chance to embrace her heritage. "It's very cool knowing that other people are from the same country or a different country that speaks Spanish. I love speaking Spanish; I love that Guatemala is my country," she said.
Ortíz noted that the program helps students understand and celebrate diverse cultures. "It's very exciting to be able to receive people that Cape has brought over to us so that we can be able to experience and learn more about the countries they come from or what it's like, and what they have come out of and how they are flourishing in our community."
Milton Elementary School plans to continue celebrating cultural diversity with activities and programs throughout the school year.