The Science of Corn: Empowering Youth through Community-Engaged, Language Development

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey, United States
Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Yucatán, Mexico

The Science of Corn: Empowering Youth through Community-Engaged, Language Development

“The Science of Corn: Empowering Youth through Community-Engaged, Language Development” builds a new relationship between Rutgers and the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán’s campus in rural Tizimín through a mutual exchange of 16 pre-service teachers. The project will focus on storytelling and community-engaged language programming in English, Mayan, and Spanish through the sciences, telling the story of “De la Milpa a la Tortilla,” the journey from planting of corn until it arrives in our kitchens as a tortilla. The preservice teachers will share their stories with PreK-12 students, empowering them by developing early interest in the sciences and promoting the development of linguistic and intercultural competence.