Latin America Work Connects Teachers with Diverse Student Populations

With the help of Primary Source, teachers are able to bring history and culture from around the globe to New England's students. In many schools, however, the diversity of the student population means that a variety of languages and cultures are already present in the classroom.

In response to school demand, Primary Source offers courses and resources that help teachers better understand and teach about the countries from which their students have recently immigrated. Over the past several years, the organization has introduced courses on Latin America, the birthplace of many students in New England and a region with which numerous communities still maintain strong ties. These programs recognize the critical importance of Latin America in the historical and contemporary United States and may help teachers develop classrooms in which Latino and Hispanic students see themselves reflected in their coursework.

Recently, Primary Source has crafted customized in-school workshops on this diverse region of the world for faculty in Somerville, Brockton, Marblehead, and Newton. In Somerville, teachers participated in a workshop on Cuba and El Salvador that was co-led by Boston educator Marc Antone and Professor Allen Wells of Bowdoin College. More than 35 percent of Somerville's K-12 students are Hispanic. Kara Carpenter, a teacher at Somerville High School, found that her Salvadorean students were excited to hear that she had spent time learning about the country. As a result, Carpenter and her class were able to engage in a spirited discussion of El Salvador's contemporary history.

Latin America workshops represent one piece of the wide range of Primary Source's professional development programs for schools. In 2008, the organization offered more than 30 customized in-school workshops to nearly 500 participating teachers.

To learn more about in-school workshop opportunities for your school or district, contact Peter Gilmartin ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).