Ecuadorian chocolatier, Fernando Velez, spoke with students taking Spanish at Hall High School. Sharing his firsthand experience as an entrepreneur, his insights deepened students’ understanding of both culture and how to run a business. One student said, “I enjoyed learning about the process that he took to become an entrepreneur, turning a hobby into a business.” Another mentioned “how he supports the environment and how he uses sustainable and ethical ways to create the cacao.” The chocolate tasting was also a highlight, as students learned how the fruit trees growing near the cacao impacted the flavor. This experience, thanks to a grant by Michelle Nicklas and David Simon, will not be forgotten. As one student put it, “Chocolate can change a person’s life in an inspiring way.”

After the Conard community gathered over 550 food drive donations, Dana Martin’s students from the Intermediate Spanish classes visited Hands on Hartford to organize the pantry and learn about the organization's vital work in addressing food and housing insecurity, as well as other services they provide the community. The day concluded at Parkville Market, where students analyzed local murals and enjoyed lunch from the Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Peruvian vendors. To keep the conversation flowing during lunch, they used conversation cards in Spanish to explore the links between volunteerism, social advocacy through art, and the cultural power of food in bringing people together. This trip jump started the newest class unit which focuses on UN Goal #16 (Justice, Peace, and Solid Institutions). More specifically, students will explore how food and art can spark social change in a community, citing experiences from this field trip to support their ideas moving forward.

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