OUTREACH ANNUAL REPORT 2024 - 2025
The Outreach Program at the University of Florida’s Center for Latin American Studies (LAS) promotes the integration of the study of Latin America, its cultures, and its languages across the K-16 curriculum . The Center also promotes LAS through the business community and community at large.
Outreach Program Priorities
FOCUS AREAS
• Latin American Studies in the K-12 and higher education classroom and community
• Less Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL)
• Global Children’s Literature and Literacy
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Languages for the Workplace
PRIORITY AUDIENCES
• K-12
• State Colleges, MinorityServing Institutions (MSI)
CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES OUTREACH
TRAVELING SUITCASES
The Traveling Suitcase program offers teachers the opportunity to introduce students to artifacts from around Latin America, including books, toys, music, clothing, product packaging, currency, bus schedules, and many more items.
We completed 55 suitcase borrows in 2024-2025!
Here are the most popular suitcases this year:
AMERICAN FOOD NATIONAL IDENTITY AND SYMBOLS
LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC LATIN AMERICAN ART
TRAVELING AROUND LATIN AMERICA
LATIN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD
We shipped the most suitcases to teachers in:
COLORADO TENNESSEE DELAWARE
OUTREACH IN LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
ANNUAL VIRTUAL EXCHANGE TRAINING
Every summer, we collaborate with the UFIC Office of Global Learning to host a 6-week online training that gives K-12 and community college instructors the tools they need to launch their first virtual exchange. This year was the fourth annual training; participants were from Florida, Mexico, and Colombia.
SHARING RESOURCES FOR VIRTUAL EXCHANGE
Outreach sponsored the session "Opportunities for Internationalizing the K-12 Curriculum in Florida" at the Florida Consortium of International Education (FCIE), featuring virtual exchange projects developed by Danielle Babineau, AICE Global Perspectives teacher at St. Augustine High School.
DEVELOPING & IMPLEMENTING VIRTUAL EXCHANGE
LITERATURE IN THE CURRICULUM
Kate Strein, English Language Arts teacher at Jupiter Middle integrated Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal, written by renowned young adult literature author, Margarita Engle, into her curriculum. Silver People tells the story of the construction of the Panama Canal in poems, giving voice to not only the workers building the Canal but also the plants and animals of the nearby rainforest.
“MEET THE AUTHOR” CLUB DE LECTURA
In spring 2025, we continued our “Meet the Author” Club de Lectura, led by professor Luis Felipe Lomelí. Students read works by contemporary Latin American authors, then had the unique chance to discuss the reading with the authors themselves. Between fall and spring semesters, 111 participants attended across eight sessions.
GUEST AUTHOR SPEAKER SERIES
Author Andrea Olatunji of Cuentacuento spoke to ten elementary school classrooms across the U.S., reaching over 800 students. Her interactive visits introduced readers to Omar the Jaguar and other rainforest protagonists who teach simple Spanish vocabulary and impart life lessons through encounters with their peers.
Author Alexandra Diaz visited middle school ELA classrooms as well as pre-service teachers from Florida Gulf Coast University. Her young adult novel The Only Road tells the story of a young boy who must make the arduous journey from Guatemala to the U.S. to live with his older brother when it's too dangerous to stay in his hometown.
AUTHOR VISITS & LITERARY OUTREACH
INTERCULTURAL SKILLS IN DESIGN
Jennifer Bennett, PK Yonge teacher of Design and Entrepreneurship, welcomed Bacardi Scholar Maurico Chavarria and LAS alumna Anabell Iglesias to her classroom to talk about future career opportunities for students. Jennifer is also a past participant (2024) of our LAS summer VE Training.
INTERCULTURAL SKILLS IN CONSTRUCTION
LAS partnered with professor Dr. Eileen Pesantes of the College of Design, Construction & Planning to present on the importance of language and culture skills in construction fields at the 2025 Florida Career Pathways Network (FCPN).
LANGUAGES FOR CAREERS
One of our 2025 Green Business Bacardi Scholars, Mauricio Chavarria, spoke about the importance of languages and cultural understanding across professions to the Mesa de Español and the newly formed Spanish for Construction student group.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
CAREER CONNECTIONS
STUDY ABROAD CONNECTIONS WITH
PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS
Two new study abroad programs took flight in spring 2025, thanks to developing partnerships between the Center for Latin American Studies and professional schools.
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LOOK AT THE PANAMA CANAL
In January, eight students embarked to Panama on the immersive program “Exploring the Canal Across Disciplines,” led by Dr. Pingchien Neo, Director of International Engineering Programs at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. The students learned about the Panama Canal through the interdisciplinary lenses of the program's collaborative sponsors: the Center, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Beyond120, the Warrington College of Business, and the College of Health & Human Performance.
INVESTIGATING "THE PRICE OF PARADISE"
The Center supported the study abroad trip for Cynthia Barnett and Dr. Gabby Salazar’s Environmental Reporting class. Over spring break, the group of journalism students headed to Costa Rica to report on environment-based development and ecotourism by conducting interviews, videography, and photography at farms, research stations, and national parks.
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY
IN LATIN AMERICA
EDUCATOR STUDY IN MEXICO
In March 2025, UF LAS provided stipends for two primary school (Lab School) teachers from Santa Fe College to participate in and support the Santa Fe study abroad experience in Campeche, Mexico and the Autonomous University of Campeche (UAC).
COLLABORATIONS WITH CAMPECHE
In May, Mary Risner (LAS) and Paloma Rodriguez (UF International Center Office of Global Learning) traveled to Campeche to meet with University of Campeche and Instituto Campeche faculty and K-12 teachers to discuss continued collaborations.
PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
In early February, the Center welcomed 125 attendees for its 73rd annual conference, “The Struggle from Below: Civil Society and Democratic Backsliding in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America,” a collaboration with the Center for African Studies, the Center for European Studies, and the Raymond and Miriam Ehrlich Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Political Science, to strengthen ties between the area studies and offer valuable insights on democracy from different regions of the world.
STUDYING THE KICHWA DIASPORA
We welcomed Kichwa scholar Santiago Gualapuro to talk about his research investigating the linguistic and social aspects of the Kichwa diaspora in the U.S., and how, despite their sizable population, Kichwas often remain invisible within both Ecuadorian and broader Latino communities.
STUDENT ART EXHIBIT
In fall 2024, the first Kislak Family Foundation Artist in Residence facilitated a student art exhibit! With a class composed of students from diverse disciplines, artist Eduardo Abaroa made artistic expression accessible and achievable. This is reflected in the culminating exhibition of student work, “An Incomplete Collection of Impossible Projects,” on view at the Gary R. Libby University Gallery from November 15, 2024 - January 29, 2025.
ON-CAMPUS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS
20 TH GAINESVILLE LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
12-29 September 2024
The Gainesville community came together to celebrate Latino culture through film, music, and dance! The 20th annual film festival screened movies around the theme "Social Memory in Latin America." All events were free, organized by the Latina Women’s League.
WORLD MUSIC SAMPLE CONCERT
9 April 2025
Attendees gathered at the Thomas Center to hear Jacaré Brazil, the Chinese Ensemble, and the Persian Ensemble transport the audience on a musical journey around the globe.
NOCHE DE MUSEO
12 September 2024
The Harn Museum of Art hosted the opening night of the Gainesville Latino Film Festival with their annual Noche de Museo celebration in September! Guests enjoyed touring the Latin American art exhibits, creating their own art inspired by Latin American heritage, music and dance activities, and the film screening of Ecuadorian documentary “This Stolen Country of Mine,” with guest speaker filmmaker Carlos Andrés Vera.
ARTS & CULTURE
IN GAINESVILLE
NETWORK OF BUSINESS LANGUAGE EDUCATORS
The Network of Business Language Educators (NOBLE) site, created in 2009, continues to track LSP events and compile initiatives, publications, and other resources of interest for LSP around the world. nble.org
You can also follow the NOBLE/Language Learning for Business and the Professions LinkedIn group.
linkedin.com/groups/4251403
UF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES CAREER NETWORK
The UF Latin American Studies Career Network on LinkedIn continues to serve as a way to locate LAS alumni across career fields and share news and information. Join the group to connect and share your news and support your job search.
linkedin.com/groups/3125999
LSP PUBLICATIONS
"Undergraduate Perceptions of the Value of Studying Spanish: The Role for Spanish for Specific Purposes" by Mary E. Risner (University of Florida) and Maria Laura Mecias (University of Florida), in Global Business Languages "Teaching Spanish for Specific Purposes in Primary and Secondary Education" by Mary E. Risner in The Routledge Handbook of Spanish for Specific Purposes.
RESOURCES & NETWORKS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
BEYOND THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
COLLABORATORS & AFFILIATIONS
Mary Risner, Ed.D. is the Associate Director of Outreach and Business at the Center for Latin American Studies. Dr. Risner develops and manages initiatives that integrate the study of world language and area studies across the curriculum. She has over 20 years of experience teaching world languages at a variety of K-16 levels. Her background is in Marketing, Latin American Studies, and Educational Technology.
Christa Markley is the Center’s Communications Specialist. Christa assists with developing and designing promotional and resource materials that are distributed through the Center’s outreach channels.
STUDENT ASSISTANTS
Jonny López is a student assistant at the Center for Latin American Studies and completed his first year in the MALAS program in 2025. He assisted with the Traveling Suitcase program for Center Outreach.
Melisa Mantilla is a student assistant at the Center for Latin American Studies and completed her first year in the MALAS program in 2025. She assisted with the Traveling Suitcase program for Center Outreach.
2024-2025
OUTREACH PROGRAM TEAM
