Inauguration of Academia Cuauhtli (Cuauhtli Academy), Austin, TX January 10, 2015 from 11:00AM-3:15PM at the new AISD Performing Arts Center

Inauguration of Academia Cuauhtli (Cuauhtli Academy) takes place onSaturday, January 10, 2015 from 11:00AM-3:15PM at the new AISD Performing Arts Center located at 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd., Austin, TX 78723 (see link to map below).  Tamales, chocolate, and pan dulce will be served with Performances by Joel Guzman’s Tejano conjunto, McCallum High School Ballet Folklórico, Crockett High School Mariachi, Martin Middle School Ballet Folklórico, Bedichek Middle School Mariachi, and El Grupo de Danza Mexica Xochipilli.

Academia Cuauhtli is a language and culture revitalization partnership project for AISD fourth graders attending Metz, Zavala, and Sanchez Elementary Schools that takes place every Saturday at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center located at 600 River St. from January 10, 2015 through May 2, 2015.  Instruction will take place exclusively in Spanish in the context of a TEKS-aligned, culturally and linguistically relevant Mexican American Studies and Tejano history curriculum in the areas of local history, immigration/migration, and civil rights—soon to be expanded to women, indigenous heritage, and the cultural arts. All of the curricula developed out of this initiative is (or will be) available to students at multiple grade levels throughout the entire district.

Originating from our community, the Saturday academy is a collaboration between Nuestro Grupo (a community organization), the Texas Center for Education Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, the Tejano History Curriculum Project (an Initiative of the Tejano Monument Project), the Austin Independent School District and the City of Austin’s Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. 

Attached is our press release and event schedule for the day in English and Spanish.

Here are all the pertinent links:

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/AcademiaCuauhtli

Facebook invitation "Inauguration of Cuauhtli Academy” page:  http://tinyurl.com/orf6lqf

Map to AISD Performing Arts Center: http://tinyurl.com/AISDPAC

Many thanks to our inauguration sponsors:
• Center for Mexican American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
• Austin Area Association for Bilingual Education
• Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, University of Texas at Austin
• Tejano History Curriculum Project
• Texas Center for Education Policy
• National Latino/a Education Research and Policy Project

For more information, please contact Larissa Davila at davilaly@live.com (email) or (512) 636-6381 (phone).

Sinceramente,

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., Director

Texas Center for Education Policy

University of Texas at Austin