¡La Chispa! bilingual workshop inspires Latino middle schoolers across the region

LEAVENWORTH – Cascade High School hosted middle school Latino students from all over the region to participate in a leadership workshop called ¡La Chispa! (the spark).

“It's all about, first of all, getting to know one another, but also getting to know themselves, and seeing that everyone has leadership potential,” said Cascade High School Counselor Meche Grace.

The bilingual workshop, through shared experiences and activities, helps students build self-confidence, strengthen their cultural identity, and increase their academic success.

“What we're trying to do is make sure that we're giving them that push so they can see that they do have culture, they do have roots, and they matter,” said ¡La Chispa! facilitator Irvin Enriquez.

¡La Chispa! Facilitators aim to “spark” interest in education by inspiring students to challenge themselves, revealing their strengths, and educating them on the necessary requirements for graduation as well as resources available for secondary education.

“Some students come in with a ‘whatever’ attitude, ‘I’m too cool for school,’ and seeing them come up to me at the end of the workshop and telling me, ‘What you said inspired me, what you said connected with me. What you said is me’…That, for me, is the most satisfying,” said Enriquez.

The workshop is also conducted in Spanish and English, promoting the value of being able to speak, read, and write two languages.

“When you are bilingual and biliterate, and then you go and apply for a job in the future, you have twice the chances of getting that job just because you are bilingual. So for these kids, knowing that being bilingual is important and the value of it, and for them to realize that they're unique, it's huge,” said Jesus Sandoval, Multilingual Learner Teacher and Migrant Graduation Support Specialist at Icicle River Middle School (IRMS).

Seventeen Cascade High School students received three weeks of training to serve as mentors to the middle school students from IRMS, Pinnacles Prep, Chelan Middle School, and Cashmere Middle School during the workshop. They shared their own experiences and knowledge, while leading small groups in activities. 

“For me, I feel like I got to interact with kids. I got to understand the different levels, because there were different grades…And I also just got to learn more about my culture too, like how they were explaining all the benefits that we can get in school. I think that was really cool,” said 11th grader and mentor Michelle Perez.

As a mentor, Perez had the opportunity to witness her brother’s experience participating in the workshop as a middle schooler.

“I think this serves my brother, and [it’s] also exposing him to more of our culture, because I feel like living in a city that's more white predominant, you know, I think it's kind of sometimes hard, and he forgets. So, I feel like it’s letting him remember where he came from…It's a way for him to express it,” said Perez. 

The ¡La Chispa! Bilingual Workshops are delivered by the student leadership program of the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). The Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL) began its bilingual outreach in 2004 with a high school leadership camp called La Cima, (the summit). ¡La Chispa! is facilitated by La Cima staff.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media