The UFT Hispanic Affairs Committee

Did you know that 18 percent of America's elementary and high school students are Latino? Or that over the past two decades the percentage of the nation's college students who are Latino has more than doubled?

If you are looking to increase your knowledge of Latino culture, NYSUT will be providing plenty of resources as it prepares to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by issuing a variety of multi-media resources.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, is an excellent time for students to learn about the many contributions Latino culture has made to American society and to become better educated about this fast-growing population demographic.

This year, NYSUT will be issuing its second annual bilingual poster to members in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Last year's poster featured Ellen Ochoa, the first female Hispanic astronaut.

This year's poster will carry a similarly inspirational message for students (see next issue for ordering details). Although the poster commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month, it is designed to be displayed in classrooms year-round.

In addition, NYSUT will be making a variety of educational resources available through its Web site at www.nysut.org. Resources that will be made available include:

• Biographies of famous Latino Americans, such as Ochoa;
• A quiz on Latino culture, offered in both English and Spanish;
• Fun and interesting facts about Latino culture, also offered in both English and Spanish. One section will offer information about Latino innovators broken down by country, so students can learn how fields such as math, science and art have been influenced by many Latin nations.

Watch New York Teacher and www.nysut.org for more information.