Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 each year and is a celebration of the history, culture and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This year, in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the employees of the Corps of Engineers Buffalo District generously gathered school supplies for the students of Herman Badillio Bilingual Academy in Buffalo, NY.
“Over the last few years I have been involved in many outreach programs that have helped spread interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said LTC Owen Beaudoin, Buffalo District Commander. “But no matter how much outreach we do, if the students do not have the basic tools to succeed in school, we have failed in our mission to build the next generation of engineers.”
The Herman Badillio Bilingual Academy teaches students from grades kindergarten through eighth grade. Each grade level has a classroom that teaches in Spanish, English and a combination of both. The school embraces its bilingual and culturally diverse community, where students not only learn to speak English, but English speaking students have the opportunity to learn how to speak Spanish.
“The generosity of the district employees never ceases to amaze me,” said Judy Phillips, Buffalo District Equal Employment Opportunity Officer. “Our employees are always willing to step in and help out the children in our community to succeed in school. The donated supplies will make it easier for a child to focus and learn at school.”
It was an easy decision for the Buffalo District to partner with the school for Hispanic Heritage Month. “We saw an opportunity to make a difference and we acted on it,” said Beaudoin.