Sharing Personal Narratives and Cultural Exchange

Manfredo De la Cruz, 4th grade dual language teacher at Mount Vernon Community School, wanted to make it a priority to celebrate the cultures and identities of the many students from Central America and Mexico in their classroom. De la Cruz incorporated lessons that connected directly to students’ experiences; using maps, informational texts, and stories that highlighted traditions, music, and family life from countries in the region. Students shared stories about their families' countries of origin through personal narratives. This helped them build pride in their backgrounds while developing literacy in both Spanish and English. 

De la Cruz took their lessons beyond the classroom by helping to organize school-wide cultural events, sharing traditional foods, crafts, and performances for students and their families. De la Cruz shared:

These experiences fostered belonging, cultural exchange, and appreciation among all students. I also used lessons and materials from Scholastic’s resources to deepen understanding and engagement — especially those that feature authentic voices and real-world connections. Through these activities, my goal was to empower students to see their culture represented in the curriculum and to help all learners recognize the richness and diversity of Central America.

De la Cruz emphasized the importance of quality resources in making this work possible, particularly praising TeachingCentralAmerica.org as:

an excellent resource for educators seeking to bring more representation, cultural understanding, and historical context into their classrooms. I appreciate how the website provides high-quality, classroom-ready materials that highlight the rich histories, identities, and experiences of Central American communities — content that is often missing from traditional curricula.