The CLASP Outreach Committee is honored to share that Nilda Barraza has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 CLASP Teaching Award for K-12 Educators. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching and promotion of Latin American studies in K-12 educational settings and will be formally announced at the International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association in San Francisco, California on May 25.
For over thirteen years Nilda Barraza has taught Spanish and Social Studies at Stephen T. Mather High School, part of the Chicago Public Schools. Her dynamic and inclusive curriculum includes AP Spanish Literature and Culture, a bilingual History of Latin America course—which she personally developed and implemented—and Spanish for Heritage Speakers I (both regular and honors levels). Drawing from her experiences traveling through Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia, Nilda creates courses that bridge linguistic and cultural divides while affirming and validating the lived experiences of a growing Latin American student population. In her recommendation letter, Diane Muñoz, the Assistant Principal at Stephen T. Mather High School, praised Nilda’s exceptional and innovative teaching, her commitment to professional development, and her community engagement. She noted that her classroom is a “space where students feel valued, empowered, and connected to their roots.”
Nilda integrates the ACTFL language learning framework—Products, Practices, and Perspectives—into her teaching practice to empower students to explore and connect with their own cultural identities through Latin American literature, music, and film. This culturally responsive pedagogical approach fosters critical thinking, intercultural competence, and a deeper appreciation for the richness of Latin American and Latinx cultural heritages. It centers on the analysis of authentic cultural products such as artesanías, songs, and films; incorporates hands-on activities or practices to explore their historical and social meanings; and engages students in critical reflection to infer cultural perspectives and values embedded in these artistic expressions.
One powerful example of Nilda’s culturally responsive approach is her oral storytelling lesson on Mexican corridos (sung ballads), in which students critically examine both traditional corridos and narcocorridos within their historical and cultural contexts. Through this exploration, students gain insight into the social and political significance of these musical narratives and their lasting impact across Latin America. As a culminating activity, students are invited to compose and perform their own corridos, thus situating their own story songs within a vital Latin American artistic and literary tradition. Similarly, in her Arpillera unit Nilda invites students to actively engage with past and present struggles for justice and human rights through hands-on artmaking, drawing inspiration from the patchwork embroidery created by Chilean campesina women during Pinochet’s dictatorship. As part of the unit, students create their own stitched narrative pieces in response to contemporary issues, such as immigration policies under the Trump administration. In doing so, students not only share their own stories but embrace artmaking as a tool for collective resistance, civic identity, and community-building.
Beyond the classroom setting, Nilda expands knowledge and appreciation of Latin America and the Caribbean through her curriculum unit on Azteca/Mexica poetry to be presented at this year’s prestigious AATSP Conference in Panama, and by spearheading community outreach efforts such as the annual Day of the Dead ofrenda showcase during Hispanic Spirit Week, and her leadership on the Sanctuary Team which advocates for and supports undocumented students and their families.
Please join us in congratulating Nilda Barraza on this well-deserved honor!