By Abigail Bender
Since 2016, University of Maryland students enrolled in an upper level Spanish course have participated in the Aprendiendo Juntos, or “learning together,” program to build connections with surrounding Latino families in the College Park community.
Spanish in the Community, or SPAN374, provides English-language instruction for immigrant parents and assists elementary school children. The Aprendiendo Juntos Program, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, engages students with Spanish speakers at Hollywood Elementary School.
During Tuesday’s celebration at Jimenez Hall, staff and alumni shared their experiences with students set to participate in the program.
“I always ask my students, ‘So what can you do with your Spanish? It’s not enough just to learn it and keep it to yourself, right? It’s relational,’” said Ana Patricia Rodríguez, founder and head of Aprendiendo Juntos and a professor of Spanish in the Community.
Students enrolled in the Spanish in the Community class will begin the program in October.
Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, director of local government relations at UMD, also helped establish the program after seeing the university’s lack of connection with the local community.
“When I met with them, particularly with the principals in Hollywood and the principals in Paint Branch as well, that’s when they decided to say … we have a large population of families, Latino families,” Blackwell said. “Spanish is our main language…and we need help.”
Blackwell said the Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the dean of the School of Languages, Literature and Culture funded the program after recognizing the challenges local communities faced and the assistance students could offer.
“They’re trusting you,” Blackwell said. “They’re trusting us, and for doing that, that really has helped to keep that relationship and bring the community together.”
The alumni who spoke at the anniversary participated in the program between 2016 and 2026. Ingrid Rivas, a UMD alum who participated in the program in 2016, said it was impactful to see elementary school children engage with university students who look like them.
“I wanted to contribute [in] a way so I could give back to someone like my mom,” Rivas said. “I feel like that will change someone.”
Rivas described the program as a reciprocal experience. The children learn from university students, but it also involves a sense of community and trust, Rivas said.
“So just go with an open mindset, but also be mindful, too, that not everybody speaks the same Spanish,” Rivas said. “Like, there’s different cultures, different traditions, different words that people use in different countries, so just be mindful of that.”
Jacqueline Alvarez, a senior criminology, criminal justice and sociology major, participated in the most recent Aprendiendo Juntos Program. Alvarez also agreed that future students should enter the program with an open mind.
“Just be patient not only with the kids but also with yourself. It’s okay if you mess up …if you can’t say a word right,” Alvarez said. “Like, we’re all learning in the same space, the same way they’re learning English, you’re learning Spanish.”
Manel Lacorte, head of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, said Aprendiendo Juntos is one of the best examples of a community-oriented program that provides a way for university students, children and parents around College Park to learn.
“Aprendiendo Juntos is the program that I am undoubtedly most proud of, largely because it represents everything I would like a department to continue doing in the future,” Lacorte said.
Featured Image: Alumni of the University of Maryland’s Aprendiendo Juntos program speak at Jimenez Hall for the program’s 10th anniversary on Tuesday. Photo by Abigail Bender.