LACS is committed to spreading awareness and knowledge of topics related to Latin America and the Caribbean through a variety of outreach efforts that bring resources and professional development opportunities to K-12 institutions and minority-serving post-secondary institutions.
Outreach Vision
As the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, we envision our efforts to ultimately become a national standard for area studies outreach-culturally inclusive and humble in its approach, participant-led and meaningful in its design, and that makes a positive impact on students and educators in becoming global citizens.
Outreach Core Activities
Fostering Awareness
LACS Outreach actively promotes and shares materials related to the region’s current issues, histories, cultures, and peoples with K-14 educators and students, as well as the wider community.
- Expert speaker engagements
- Cultural presentations
- Community site visits
Curriculum Development
LACS Outreach supports educators in developing and integrating lesson material that features regionally specific content in their classrooms.
- Resource development (lesson plans, units, guides, references)
- Hosting and disseminating open access and online material
- Course integration/adaptation
- Consultation with design experts
- Acquiring and providing access to U-M Library LAC resources and collections
- Funding for MSI, CC faculty and K-12 teachers to develop specific LACS course materials
Supporting Learning Communities
LACS Outreach creates and fosters spaces in which K-14 educators across disciplines and grade levels can support one another in their learning and teaching interests related to the LAC region.
- Reading groups
- Curricular design teams
- Supported conference participation
Community Engagement
LACS Outreach raises awareness, fosters cross-cultural understanding, and supports the lay public in topics of interest related to the LAC region.
- Cultural activities for the public
- Film screenings
- Support for business, non-profit, public organization projects related to the LAC region
- Sponsored dialogues with members from business, non-profit, public, and/or activist organizations from the LAC region
