9 a.m. -  Anthropology

9:45 a.m. - Portuguese

11 a.m - Food Science

12:15 p.m. - Quechua

This was the class schedule for high school students from Rutherford B. Hayes HS (Delaware) and Westerville Central HS for Latin American Day at Ohio State. This outreach initiative aimed to give students the experience of being undergraduate students on campus who specialize in the Latin American region.

In their language classes, they learned the basics of Portuguese (Oi, tudo bem?) and Quechua (Ohio-manta Brutus). Students were able to make connections between Spanish and Portuguese and were curious about different Portuguese accents. In Quechua, they were very excited to say where they were from using the suffix -manta.

Their Anthropology class, led by Dr. Nick Kawa, was about human waste and the different uses for it. While the topic caused some discomfort at first, students were able to make pertinent questions about the topic, all while lightening the mood with jokes. Dr. Kawa appreciated the question and the opportunity to share his work with high schoolers: "I appreciated the chance to step out of my little bubble on campus and interact with high school students who exhibited a range of interests and curiosities. Their varied questions—some of which were totally unexpected— led us down many different paths of discussion, which I enjoyed a lot."

In their Food Science class, led by Dr. Monica Giusti, students learned how Latin American plants and insects can be used in food coloring. Many students were excited to see foods from their home countries represented. Dr. Guisti delivered more than science, though, telling students that "If you find something you like, it doesn't feel like a load; it's an opportunity to ask questions."

In addition to classes, students had the opportunity to take a campus tour and have lunch with current and future FLAS fellows in Portuguese and Quechua. They showed a lot of engagement and curiosity, asking about how to make such a big school feel small and a place of belonging.

Teachers and students greatly enjoyed this experience. As teachers from Delaware shared, "The classes offered during the event were not only interesting and enriching but also helped our students discover new interests. They also learned to appreciate that their culture and languages are valued by others, which meant a lot to them." For E., a student at Westerville Central, the visit was very pleasant as well. She stated, "I'm so grateful for the opportunity to experience cultures I seldom see in the U.S. The student guides were super friendly, and the professors seemed to enjoy their work and their students. It was very interesting and I learned many new things."

CLAS is immensely thankful to CLAS intern Anna Carli, FLAS fellows present and future (James Logan, Sophie Toth, Evan Beard, Paul Renner, and Elijah Fidder), participating Ohio State faculty (Dr. Nick Kawa, Dr. Ana Carolina dos Santos Marques, Dr. Monica Giusti, and Elvia Andia Grageda), the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Michael Waite from Arts & Sciences undergraduate recruitment, and the amazing teachers from Delaware (Maria Moser Arteaga, Fatjona Ndreu, and Sarah Ressler) and Westerville (Pablo Chignolli and Holly Park).

This event was supported in part by grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI NRC funding. The content of this event does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.