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Students, staff highlight Hispanic Heritage Month; Edmanitas youth leadership program presents districtwide activities
Summary
Kennett High School students and staff presented districtwide Hispanic Heritage Month activities and the Edmanitas (Hermanitas) youth leadership program, describing mentorship, civic engagement and college readiness supports.
Kennett Consolidated School District heard a presentation on Oct. 13 highlighting Hispanic Heritage Month activities and the Edmanitas youth leadership program that serves high school and middle school students.
Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders introduced a series of student and staff presenters who described events across the district from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and showcased how student work and alumni exemplify the program's goals.
Loretta Perna, who introduced the program, said the Edmanitas program began in 2002 in partnership with MANA de Chester County and that it "encourages and supports Latinas to find a voice and grow as leaders." Victoria Mata, this year's youth board president, and other student officers described peer mentorship, leadership activities, civic and financial literacy, campus visits and national conferences that the club uses to support members pursuing college and careers.
Luis Lemos, vice president of the youth board, listed community-service activities including volunteering at the Mushroom Festival, the Memorial Day parade, the Red Clay Creek annual cleanup and support for the Chester County Special Needs Fishing Rodeo.
Several students described classroom projects tied to literature and identity. A high-school English class read Liliana Velasquez's memoir Dreams and Nightmares and then met the author; students produced writing projects based on the author's experiences. A senior, Maylee, described writing about her personal journey from Guatemala to the United States and said the classroom support helped her complete and share that work.
Perna noted a Kennett Education Foundation (KEF) grant supported recordings of student stories; the district provided a QR code for board members to access student-recorded narratives. The presentation also listed districtwide celebrations at Greenwood, Mary D. Lang, Bancroft and Kennett Middle School, including assemblies, themed dress-up weeks and performances by Danza Tanochi and mini Chinelos dance troupes.
Ending: Board members praised the students for their presentations. Superintendent Rizzo Saunders and President Cronenberg encouraged community members to attend upcoming family learning nights and other events that celebrate cultural heritage.
