In a vibrant display of cultural celebration and community service, Uniondale High School's Latina Mentoring Initiative hosted Bonding through the Art of Making Salvadoran Pupusas on January 6. Led by Board Trustee Addie Blanco-Harvey, the event featured Uniondale students learning to make pupusas, a famous Central American flat bread. Additionally, the night further underscored the District’s commitment to empowering Latina students as part of the state-wide initiative announced by Governor Hochul in 2021.
"This is not just about making pupusas—it’s about instilling confidence, cultural pride and a sense of community in our young Latinas," said Dr. Estrella Olivares-Orellana, the District’s Director of Multilingual Learners and NYS Latina Mentoring Site Coordinator. “The event provided a unique opportunity for our scholars to connect to their heritage, learn from each other and extend their learning beyond the classroom.”
Bonding through the Art of Making Salvadoran Pupusas served as a dynamic platform for cultural exchange and mentorship, fostering a deeper understanding of Salvadoran traditions among the participants. The pupusas prepared during the session were donated to local families in need, exemplifying the school's dedication to community service and the values of empathy and social responsibility.
The Latina Mentoring Program provides supervised, one-to-one mentoring to Latina youths. Professional Latinas applied via NYS to be mentors and were matched with mentees, one to one, to empower and support Uniondale High School Latinas by promoting self-advocacy, building soft skills, confidence and nurturing aspirations. Among the many accomplished mentors, Uniondale’s program has a School Board Trustee, an occupational therapist, a general physician, a World Languages Chairperson, the Executive Vice President of Mission Services Goodwill NYNJ, former students who are now professionals, the Acting VP of Academic Affairs at Nassau Community College, a social worker, Uniondale parents, the district’s Director of Instructional Technology and Library Media Services, and the district’s MLL intake coordinator.
The Bonding through the Art of Making Salvadoran Pupusas event is a testament to Uniondale High School's innovative approach to education, blending cultural learning with community engagement, and setting a precedent for similar programs statewide.
For more information about Uniondale School District, please visit the District’s website at https://district.uniondaleschools.org and ‘like’ our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/uniondalek12/.