Developing Culturally Appropriate Programs for Latino Youth
- Learn about your community, the background of the families and who
the formal and informal community leaders are. Identify community partners
who can assist with your entry into the community.
- Before developing programs, ask the Latino community (adults and
youth) what their needs and interests are. Be aware that youth may not
be as vocal if asked in a gathering that also includes adults. Find
a way to assess youth interests separately.
- Establish an advisory group for the program made up of Latino community
members. Call on them regularly to evaluate the program and to make
suggestions for needed changes.
- Provide opportunities for youth to be involved in the design and evaluation
of programs. They need to take ownership and feel pride in their participation.
- Target programs specifically to Latinos. This does not mean others
may not attend, but the emphasis should be on making the environment
reflective of the Latino experience. For instance, at a family activity
night play Latino music, offer Latino food, and have staff available
who can speak Spanish.
- Proceed slowly, thoughtfully, and incrementally. Don't attempt too
much at one time.
- Build relationships with youth based on respect, acceptance, caring,
and trust. Do not be judgmental. Preaching techniques don't work.
- Expect family involvement. The Latino culture is family focused
and activities that involve both parents and children are popular. Even
when programming only involves youth, parents want and expect opportunities
for learning about what is happening in the program along the way, not
just at the beginning and end of a program.
- Programs must provide an opportunity for active participation.
- Don't assume all programs are transferable. A program designed for
Anglo youth won't necessarily work with Latino youth.
- Families and youth respond best to an invitation to participate if
it is presented personally. The use of flyers, posters, and announcements
yields limited response.
- The importance of having program materials available in Spanish depends
on the literacy level of participants in both Spanish and English. It
is more important for program content to be culturally relevant.
These observations are drawn from experiences accumulated in planning
and implementing the Oregon Outreach Project.
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