With the funds the Spanish department will purchase a three course Latin American meal with unlimited beverages to approximately 30 students. 

Ninety-five percent of students at our school are eligible for free or reduced lunch due to their family's low income. Nearly one in ten of our students are homeless and almost one-third of our students are classified as having "Special Education needs." Many of our students have lived in southeast DC their entire lives and have never explored the city - and they have never experienced a culture different from their own.

For this reason, every day as students enter the classroom, they are greeted with "¡Buenos dias!" as a reminder that they are temporarily leaving DC and entering a Spanish-speaking country. This shift is further emphasized when instruction switches from English to nearly 100% Spaish within the first fifteen minutes of class. 

Throughout the semester, our students have been learning to become international thinkers, readers, and speakers. Our students are constantly learning about Spanish-speaking countries and their cultures. Specifically, we focus on food because we find that it is a relatable topic. As we have been learning more and more about food, our students have begun applying their skills as international thinkers and have become curious about Latin American culinary traditions. For this reason, the Spanish Department at Anacostia SHS has decided to feed our students' curiosity by taking them to Cuba Libre in downton DC. This trip will expose them to a completely different world, which will allow them to graduate from high school with cultural awareness.

Although our school district provides our students with free bus access, the meal itself costs approximately $25 per student and includes a three-course meal and unlimited beverages. One of the reasons why we have chosen to take our students to Cuba Libre again is because in the past when students were asked to compare the food to what they normally ate, instead of focusing on the cutlural differences, our students could only detect the differences in quality of food. As a Spanish Department, we believe that it is important for our students to not only graduate from high school understanding what people in Spanish-speaking countries typically eat; but also, that "noodles" (Ramen) and "chips" are not typically considered a full meal. 

As a result, we kindly ask that you donate to our cause so that our students can graduate with cultural competence and a better understanding of the world outside of southeast DC!