Amplify: Strengthening Latino and Chicano Communities through Education

AMPLIFY: Stories of University-Community Collaborations is a production of CU Engage, the Center for Community-Based Learning and Research at CU Boulder, in partnership with independent community radio KGNU. The show, hosted by Jennifer Ciplet, aims to amplify the voices of students and community partners who are working together to generate new knowledge and actions to address wicked public challenges.

Today’s show looks at the Aquetza program which was founded 6 years ago by a group of CU Boulder undergraduate students. Today, Aquetza provides a free, 10-day summer residential program on the Campus of CU Boulder for participating high school students from across Colorado who have strong ties to Chicano/Latino communities. This summer, in July 2018, the program provided 42 Colorado youth participants with an interactive, academic enrichment experience focused on examining the history, literature, health science, and relevant social and political issues surrounding Chicano/Latino communities. Aquetza is rooted in a philosophy of education that sees the youth participants as holders and producers of new and valuable knowledge, and the program is designed with this at its core. Aquetza provides its high school participants with a chance to develop new skills and grow and share their knowledge as they become leaders in their communities.

Our guests are Diana Bustamante-Aguilar, who is a Fifth year student at CU Boulder and studying to become a social studies teacher and Aquetza instructor, and two Colorado high school students who participated in the Aquetza program last month at CU Boulder: Galilea Landa-Posas, a Sophmore at Colorado Academy, and Emely Pech-Cruz, a junior at Boulder High School.

You can listen to AMPLIFY live on KGNU every fourth Wednesday of the month at 9am.