HOUSTON (July 24, 2024) – The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) has been awarded a grant from the Library of Congress (LOC) to develop an interactive digital story map exploring Afro-Latino heritage. The project, titled “Discovering Afro-Latino Heritage: A Reflective Story Map Project to Enhance Student Belongingness and Learning,” is a collaborative effort between the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), faculty members, and students. The grant was received through the LOC’s Connecting Communities Digital Initiative (CCDI).
The grant was secured by a team led by Dr. Gregory Dement, CTLE Director, and Dr. Raquel Chiquillo, Professor of Spanish. They collaborated with CTLE Instructional Designer Fabiola Vacatoledo and Online Learning Librarian Jennifer Fuentes on the proposal.
The funding will be used to create a digital story map that integrates original student content (narrative text, videos, podcasts, and digital maps) with materials from the LOC’s digital collections. The map will explore the trans-Atlantic slave trade’s impact on Latin America, the experiences of enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, and the migration of Afro-Latino communities to the United States, focusing on Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Garifuna people.
“Our goal is to improve student success through innovative learning strategies,” said Dr. Dement. “By focusing on storytelling, we hope to build a stronger campus community and enhance students’ sense of belonging. This project will also provide valuable research and communication skills to participating students.”
The project also engages with the broader Houston community, as students can also choose to interview local Afro-Latino community members and contribute them to the project.
For her part, Dr. Chiquillo sees the project as an opportunity to engage students. “I’m excited to receive this grant,” she said. “It will not only help our students participate in and learn about Afro-Latino communities but will also help their academic and intellectual confidence.”
For more on UHD, visit uhd.edu.