1. “La Musica: Listening to the Language of Mexico”
I request a grant from the Lilly Endowment for $10,000 to spend six weeks exploring the
sounds and sights of the costal town of Vera Cruz, Mexico. The Language Immersion School at
Vera Cruz offers a full package of language immersion courses and music classes featuring the
traditional folk music of the area.
At Washington High School the Latino population is our fastest growing demographic.
Parents and students alike are being faced with an unfortunate choice in our community, learn
English, or be left behind. Often times, this pressure is exerted at the expense of their own native
language, replacing one with the other. Sadly, many of our students choose this option instead of
blending both cultures and languages to create a truly bilingual education. For example, parent
teacher conference time is always difficult to navigate. Countless parents come to our classes with
an extremely limited English vocabulary. Many of those parents are confused, and ashamed at
times, to come in contact with a teacher using a highly formal and educational version of English.
With the work of translation falling on students, problems and miscommunications arise frequently.
Of our entire staff, servicing roughly 1200 students, only one is delegated to the work of translation.
Understandably he is routinely inundated with parent phone calls, document translation, and other
daily language needs. Our school and community are growing quickly and its demand for
competent and passionate Spanish speakers is only increasing.
A teacher’s life is surely a busy one. As well as limited income, the time needed to attend
full immersion programs for the appropriate amount of time would be impossible to find without
help from an organization like the Lilly Foundation. Luckily, language schools exist in many
culturally rich areas of Mexico, with specific specialty in language acquisition. One such school is
The Language Immersion School located in Vera Cruz, Mexico. The L.I.S. offers a six-week
intensive course that is capped at two students per week. This insures that students receive adequate
language instruction while still affording some personal mobility and independence. The courses
are taught by Linda Langner and her husband, retired college professors who have made it a life
goal to provide opportunity to people hungry for language. Each class includes a daily, two-hour
outing into the community to practice speaking skills. (See attached e-mail)
While taking daily three-hour courses during the weekdays, nights and weekends will be
used to explore another personal passion: music. The L.I.S. is also in partnership with local
musicians and the world renown Nandayapa family, famous for their craftsmanship in creating and
performing the traditional Marimba. The program even offers a tour of Nandayapa's workshop high
on the bank of the Rio Grijalva in the small town of Chiapa del Corzo. As well as the language
package, the school also offers one-hour private lessons Monday through Friday with Juan Carlos
or another local marimbista. In the words of Mrs. Langner, “You can do music, in one fashion or
another, every night of the week.” Most exciting is the mention of opportunities for students who
are already versed in music theory. Talented, music-loving students will be rewarded with a practice
forum. Three man street bands welcome students to learn and perform on a nightly basis! Flavors of
sound include Son Jarocho, marimba, norteño, salsa, mariachi, and even solo guitar.
Personally, I have been learning and playing guitar for several years now. It is a passion of
mine to create music and fill spaces with joyful sounds. The traditional music of Veracruz fits right
into my own love for music. As a musician, I have learned that music is it’s own form of language,
one that transcends traditional linguistic borders. A group of musicians, perhaps ones who have
never before met, can create a message and mood together without speaking a single word. The art
of listening and playing, a form of call and response, is deeply entwined into musical groups and
can be used to teach. It is simply another way of exposing people to the joys of expression through
rhythm, timing, timbre, and sound.

2. With the knowledge I gain, I seek to better serve my Latino demographic on a daily basis
here in South Bend. How much more effective will I be with firsthand experience in the culture that
I am demanded to understand? I want to empower my students to love their culture as well as their
multiple languages. Viewing language as personal and important empowers students to use those
rich languages for their own educational goals. Taking ownership of language is a way to bridge the
gap between the two. The students we teach today will soon influence the future. It is a tremendous
task set ahead of our current generations to be a guide and leader to the rest of the world, especially
in regards to our geographical neighbors.
One program that I am currently affiliated with at my school is the Latino Student Union.
The L.S.U. is comprised of many cultural backgrounds, primarily Mexican, spread throughout
many different countries. We put on cultural assemblies, create hospitality closets for families that
need winter clothing, provide prescription reading glasses, drive to Indiana colleges, and come
together to put on annual food drives. With an experience in Vera Cruz, through the L.I.S., I will be
fully equipped to create meaningful learning experiences in Spanish and in English, with language
and with music. I would also like to purchase a range of musical instruments, to be donated to the
Latino Student Union, from the workshops in Vera Cruz. Desired instrumentation includes guitar,
marimba, and jarana.
Proposed Budget:
$ 3,675.00 - 6 weeks: Enrollment in L.I.S. includes full lodging, 2 meals per day,
all class materials, and airport pickup
$ 1,000.00 - 6 weeks of personal music lessons from local marimbista.
$ 2,940.00– Musical Instruments (Guitar, Marimba, Jarana)
$ 1,300.00 – 1 Marimba
$ 660.00 – 1 Guitar
$ 980.00 – 1 Jarana
$ 1.10 per kg. – International Shipping Costs through DeltaCargo
$ 150.00 – aver. 25.00 per week for transportation (Bus/Taxi)
$ 300.00 - Jun 23 meals /July 43 meals ~ 4.00 each day (including weekends)
$ 850.00 - Plane Ticket South Bend to Houston, Houston to Vera Cruz, MX.
$ 500.00 - 100.00 per Weekend Daytrip (5 total)

3. Weekend 1 - El Cazon Local Music Troupe
Weekend 2 - Visit Ruins at Puebla
Weekend 3 - The Nandayapa Marimba Workshop in Chiapa del
Corzo
Weekend 4 - Oaxaca City
Weekend 5 – Ruins at Teotihuacán
$ 20.00 - 151 Spanish Verbs (1 copy)
$ 200.00 - Security Deposit
$140.00 – Passport renewal fee
Total: $ 9,775.00
Amount requested: ~ $10,000.00
Time Frame= 6/16/2014 – 7/28/2014