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COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS |
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Working
with the Latino community in Saint Louis
In 1997, Virginia Braxs, Professor of Romance Language
& Literature at Washington University, began
integrating four hours of community service into
her language courses. The students had such positive
experiences, she encouraged a colleague to do the
same. By 2000, they started working in partnership,
providing volunteers majoring in Spanish to help
in an after-school program to provide tutoring.
Accion Social Communitaria evolved from a tutoring
program into an equally important mentoring program.
The program serves 30 youth with group activities
like mentored discussions of various topics and
activities addressing teen issues, health and wellness.
The goals of this program include motivating kids
to stay in school, developing self-esteem and self-respect,
and encouraging them to have high hopes, dreams
and goals.
The program “provides a structure for them,
successful Hispanic student role models. The experiences
are widening their world, opening their minds, celebrating
their lives, ” says Braxs.
Partnership has been the key to success and overcoming
various obstacles. “The more we empower people,
the more successful the program is.” Hispanic
students have stayed in the program, improved academically,
and have started talking about going to college.
The next step on the ladder of success is the development
of the Open Door to College program in conjunction
with Catholic Family Services. This will include
financial aid preparation, college application assistance,
SAT preparation, and trips to local colleges for
10th-12th graders. Braxs says, “we really
can make a difference changing one life at a time.”
“ My involvement with the Hispanic community
of St.Louis includes two folds, one is through the
outreach programs that I created, and currently
mentor, with the support of the Washington University’s
Romance Languages & Literatures Department 9
years ago, and the other is my personal participation
in community service and cultural organizations
that promote the excellence of the Hispanic culture.
In 1997 we started three after school programs (Niños,
Cambios & Puertas Programs) at the Spanish section
of the Romance Languages & Literatures Department,
involving our majors and minors in Spanish with
the Hispanic community, so they could practice their
Spanish language skills and at the same time serve
their community. Our volunteers go twice a day to
non profit agencies serving the Hispanics to tutor
and mentor underprivileged Hispanic kids. The programs
have been growing and are very successful, and a
year ago Niños and Cambios Programs became
part of the Student Union Programs. We have between
40 and 45 tutors per semester. We have another program,
La Clínica Program, for advanced Spanish
speakers where students do simultaneous translation
at the free Hispanic clinic in South St. Louis.
Since 1996 I am the Vice President of the Hispanic
Arts Council which brings Hispanic artists to St.
Louis, like Cuban musician Compay Segundo (Buena
Vista Social Club), Inti Illimani Andean Group from
Chile, Luciana Souza from Brasil, and this year
Mexican singer and composer Lila Downs. The Hispanic
Arts Council sponsors Hispanic artists ‘exhibits
and cultural activities with schools in the area’.” |
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