Hispanic Heritage Month, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on August 17, 1988,  is as important now as it was in the 1980’s.  Spanning 30 days from September 15th to October 15th, the month was originally created to celebrate the accomplishments of Hispanic Americans throughout our history.  At districts with Hispanic students, it is also a form of cultural responsiveness.  It allows students to share their cultures and have some ownership over school activities (Reyes-Blanes & Daunic, 1996).  It also helps us build relationships with both our students and parents by demonstrating to them that we value their identities (Kozleski, 2010). If you’re still not convinced, this inclusivity can also then contribute to higher engagement and then, greater academic achievement.

5 Hispanic Heritage Month Ideas:

1. Read a Hispanc folktake, and then, have students create their own.

2. Hold a school-wide competition where homerooms are challenged to research and identify Hispanic Americans.

3. Hold an afterschool event for parents, featuring students at your school performing Spanish songs and dances.

4. Have students complete grade-level appropriate math problems using currency from Hispanic countries.

5. Have students create videos of themselves talking about their culture.