BPD in the Community: Yesterday, Captain Bickerton and Officers assigned to District A-7 (East Boston) joined in the Veronica Robles Cultural Center Latino Heritage Summer Camp and After School programs graduation showcase. Officers celebrated the students, interns and faculty achievements and applauded their dedication over the past five weeks. The day included the premier of a play written by the students, dance, live music and an art exhibit. It was an evening filled with lots of smiles and celebration.
About the program: Program design is based on hands-on learning activities; our instructional approach combines interactive pedagogy and experiential learning with group activities, including reading, writing, oral communication, dancing, singing, and music, concluding with an end-of-program showcase.
The primary educational objective of this program is to teach English to ELL students and help them increase their vocabulary in both English and Spanish by enriching their knowledge of Latin American cultures through music, dance, and theater. Further, to help them understand the importance of sharing their ethnic backgrounds and help them get closer to their roots, celebrate and pass on traditions, and foster values based on love to bring us all together.
During the Summer Camp, all participants engaged in project-based learning by creating a bilingual theater production representing their multicultural identities. Students developed their sense of agency by actively participating in the creative process of brainstorming, script writing, stage design, character casting, and rehearsals. The play is inspired by the poetry book “Somos Latinos” and narrates three different stories of Latino students growing up in the United States.
The program is part of the 5th Qr. Summer Learning working in collaboration with Boston After School and Beyond, and Boston Public Schools.
