UA Spanish teachers Sra. Brandt and Sra. Levin went beyond vocabulary, grammar and textbooks with their students when they planned a cultural field trip outside the classroom for October 11.
The students visited Centro Presente, a nonprofit organization in Somerville dedicated to supporting Latin American immigrants. The students listened to a presentation--entirely in Spanish--about immigration in the United States, and particularly in the Boston area.
"It was exciting to put our Spanish foundation to the test and be able to understand everything that the Centro Presente representatives said," said Katherine O'Malley '14.
The students learned about the work that the Centro does on behalf of Latin American immigrants in the Boston area, including adult and youth programs, as well as legal services. "It was eye-opening to see and to hear what immigrants in the United States are going through," said Jaci Nader '14.
The students also sampled some authentic Peruvian food during their day outside of the classroom! They started with a traditional Peruvian breakfast at Rincón Limeño in East Boston. After their visit to Centro Presente, the girls had lunch at Machu Picchu in Somerville, where they tried Inca Kola, a traditional Peruvian cola. The owner and chef of the restaurant, Rosy Cerna, even took a break from the kitchen to tell the girls about Peruvian food.
Sra. Brandt said of the Spanish IV and AP Spanish students, "The girls asked really intelligent questions during the presentation," and Sra. Levin echoed her sentiments, saying, "They made us so proud!" See photos from the day in the slideshow above.