Celebrating Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month is an important way to signal your students and staff that cultural competency and inclusion is an important priority. It’s true that an isolated effort doesn’t solve the problem, but incorporating cultural recognition months into the fabric of your diversity efforts is a good start. You may be thinking that you don’t have a diversity education plan for the year. It’s never too late to start. Send out a weekly email to your staff with a cultural education reminder, put up passive education posters, hold meetings for affinity groups and plan special events that celebrate diversity and culture. You don’t have to be an expert to infuse educational moments into the school day. Take advantage of equity and inclusion tools to make an impact. Our Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month deck is a perfect example. You’ll find 28 different questions that will provide insight and awareness into the Latinx and Hispanic culture. Use a question per day over the loud speaker in a K-12 school to provide a month of education and awareness for your students. Or, use a special training session to examine the entire deck. Explore topics like, “What does Latinx refer to?” or “What is the origin of New Mexico?” Historical information provides new enlightenment about the impact of the Latinx/Hispanic culture. If you don’t have our deck, be sure to consider other educational moments that symbolize your commitment to a rich, diverse learning environment. Bit by bit, you can make a difference in the lives of students and staff.
