Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15–October 15, starts in the middle of the month because that day that marks the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua from Spain. Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

During this month, we recognize the contributions, heritage, culture, and importance of Hispanic and Latinx Americans and how they have shaped our country’s character.

Here are eight opportunities for your school or district to celebrate.

1. Learn Spanish! Teach your students to count to 10, order food in a restaurant, or just say “good morning” by using a language-learning product such as Mango Classroom, Rosetta Stone, or Duolingo. If you’re looking for a quick tutorial, check out one of the many YouTube videos that teach the top 100 Spanish phrases, words for colors, and so on. An added bonus: All Mango Classroom courses include culture notes that teach appropriate cultural information.
2. Host a cultural night for families and the community. Clear out a gym and invite your schools to “host” a different Spanish-speaking country. Each school can represent its chosen country by performing a traditional dance or song, preparing food, or playing traditional games such as El Domino or Loteria. Invite students, staff, families, and community members to come in and “visit” each country. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures to share on social media!
3. Make videos to celebrate diversity. At Carolina Forest International Elementary School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, 4th/5th graders celebrated Honduras Independence Day with their dual language immersion teacher, Erick Villalobos, who is from Honduras, by making “Who Am I” videos to celebrate their backgrounds.
4. Read and write different types of literature. Students write poems celebrating heritage for the annual Hispanic Heritage Poetry Contest at Colby School District in Colby, Wisconsin. See last year’s winner here. Find poetry, essays, memoirs, and short stories by Hispanic and Latinx authors or about Hispanic and Latinx culture to read aloud.

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Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.

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