Girls Inc. Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month takes place every year from September 15th to October 15th. One highlight of the month is Fiesta — the state’s largest celebration of Hispanic culture and heritage.
Since 2003, the Fiesta festival has served as a cultural bridge to celebrate the diverse traditions within Central Alabama’s vibrant Hispanic community. With representation from over 20 countries, festival organizer Vanessa Vargas says, “Fiesta is like a mosaic.”
With the goal of educating the public about the many different Hispanic countries and their cultures, Fiesta provides the opportunity for more than 15,000 patrons to experience the best of Hispanic art, music, food, and dance!
This year, the girls will help out as festival volunteers. From working in the community village to greeting the attendees, girls will have the chance to enjoy the festivities while helping the event run smoothly. Girls will also be working with local schools to help out younger attendees.
Girls Inc. Hispanic Initiative
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The Hispanic community of Central Alabama is vibrant and thriving. As many local girls need resources in Spanish, Girls Inc. provides five research-based programs in both Spanish and English. Our Hispanic Initiative program has impacted lives for over 14 years now, thanks to the incredible Mrs. Alejandra Ocampo.
Hispanic Initiative programming including preventing adolescent pregnancy programs, self-esteem workshops, violence prevention sessions, HIV/ AIDS awareness workshops, drug abuse prevention sessions, and encourages positive communication with parents and children.
The following programs are available in both Spanish and English:
- Kid-Ability!® (Youth, Grades K-4) Teaches students to stay safe by learning to identify unsafe situations, good vs. bad touches, and what to do if approached by strangers.
- Informed Together® (Girls, Grades 4-5) Increases positive communication between parents and daughters about values related to health and sexuality.
- Substance Abuse Prevention (Youth, Grades 3-12) Examines the dangers of alcohol, tobacco & drugs.
- Steps to Respect® (Youth, Grades 4-6) Includes discussions on making friends, how to recognize bullying and what to do if bullied.
- Taking Care of Business®(Girls, Grades 9-12) Establishes values as a basis for decision-making related to sexual health and relationships.
Learn more by reaching out to Alejandra Ocampo at aocampo@girlsinccentral-al.org!
This story was featured in the October 2021 edition of the Girls Inc. Bold Bulletin. Click below to subscribe to our monthly newsletter!