While here I:Investigated origins and uses of donated Mesoamerican masks to the institute for an exhibition to promote Mexican culture;Investigated history behind and varieties of traditional Mexican dishes to make infographics for cooking classes;Designed an infographic on how to create an altar for “Día de los Muertos” for the general public to learn more about the customs of that day in Mexico;Assisted designing and curating a Mexican mask exhibition and advertised it to local community members to educate others on the great diversity that exists in Mexico and connect them to other individuals interested in art and/or Mexican history and culture;Organized informational packets about different facets of Mexican history and society to mail them out to U.S. families who home school their children and wanted learning materials about Mexican culture;Assisted in hosting the inauguration of Sonora, Mexico at the institute; greeted all invitees and gave out/explained the typical snacks and foods of Sonora to guests in English and Spanish;And helped set up the festivities in honor of Mexico’s Independence Day in the parking lot of the Institute for distinguished guests to come and celebrate their nation with food, music, and camaraderie; as well utilized translation skills at times when helping serve refreshments to guests who only spoke Spanish

Most of my work was remote, and during my time here I:Took training sessions - provided to teach me and the other CASA volunteers - about trauma-informed care and the DC community, to aid us in becoming better aids and advocates for DC foster care youth;Completed research on immigration and citizenship processes in the U.S., and on different immigrant and multicultural organizations in the DC metropolitan area to curate a resource toolkit for the organization’s CASA volunteers to use to help their youth;Wrote two blog pieces for the organization’s 20th anniversary and for the MAP program;Compiled and sorted through case information on Salesforce to keep CASA youth and volunteer records up to date;Helped set up an art therapy workshop for MAP youth, to engage youth in a creative outlet and wellness activity;And conducted survey quarterly interviews with CASA volunteers, and updated/created program survey questions for CASA volunteers in CASA's MAP program for the nonprofit’s yearly reports and grant applications.