Local high school groups were recognized Thursday by CSU for promoting diversity and building leadership among Latino students in the Poudre School District.

One group and one teacher from Fort Collins, Fossil Ridge, Poudre and Rocky Mountain high schools were honored with a Cesar Chavez award for showing dedication to building leadership skills among Latino students at a ceremony at the Colorado State University Lory Student Center.

Chavez was a union organizer and social activist during the 1960s. The son of migrant laborers, Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association and later the United Farm Workers. He led a five-year nonviolent boycott against California grape growers, protesting poor working conditions and the use of pesticides harmful to farm workers.

Among those honored Thursday was the Esperanzas del Latino group from Fort Collins High School, which helps promote strong leadership skills among Latino students before they enter high school. The group mentors Lincoln Middle School.

"We go over every other Thursday and talk about different subjects (with the students)," said Fort Collins senior Monica Castaneda. "And, we talk about how they feel about going to high school."

The subjects range from grades to dating to the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

"(We talk about) their struggles and how different high school is from middle school," said Socorro Ontiveros, a junior at Fort Collins. "We talk about how they should care about their education because graduation is really important."

Some of the groups honored don’t necessarily focus solely on Latino students.

Poudre High School’s Intercultural Community Builders Ambassadors is a group of students hoping to build unity among the Poudre student population. The group meets once a year during a three-day workshop to celebrate differences and share personal experiences.

Anna Campbell, a freshman at Poudre, said the workshop welcomes students from as young as middle school all the way to college.

"The neat thing is, kids from all ages are learning about each other and about empowerment," Campbell said.

In its second year, the group is small but hoping to expand and eventually become a club that meets regularly throughout the school year.

"We’re trying to reach out to the (school) community," said Caroline Bailey, also a Poudre freshman.

The awards ceremony also honored Mayor Doug Hutchinson for his support of the Cesar Chavez awards and the Fort Collins Latino community in general.

     
 LINDSEY LARSON