News Archives - 2011
Augsburg hosts Latino youth conference
The summer months bring many visitor's to the Augsburg campus, including local organizations and neighborhood groups.
In May, Augsburg was host to the Latino Youth Peace and Leadership Conference which was co-sponsored by the Augsburg College Hispanic/Latino Student Services office. The one-day conference, organized by La Oportunidad, was planned by and for Latino youth and included workshops, presentations, and activities to promote youth development, leadership, and positive cultural identity. In this forum, Latino youth learned from others and shared their perspectives and experiences regarding the peaceful development of their lives and community.
This year's conference, entitled "Moving with the 'Sole', Bailando con el Corazón," provided more than 200 participants with the opportunity to experience the transformative power and cultural significance of dance and movement. Attendees learned about the cultural and historical roots of dances such as Aztec/Mexica dance, breakdance, and folkloric dances and examined dance as a cultural health practice which promotes mental, emotional, and physical heath.
Pictured here is Eloisa Echavez '94, '98 MAE, executive director of La Oportunidad, with members of the KetzalCoatlicue dancers (meaning Precious Mother Earth). They are a Kalpulli (learning community) of Indigenous people joined by the desire to learn, share, and live the tradition of Mexican Aztec dance.
La Oportunidad, Inc.
La Oportunidad is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to champion the development of Latino individuals and families to create a strong, peaceful community. Over the last 20 years, La Oportunidad has become an internationally recognized and leading provider of bilingual and bicultural family-centered educational and supportive programs to help Latino children, youth, adults, and families in the Twin Cities metro to achieve greater capacity, develop practical skills, nurture healthy relationships, and build a stronger community.
