By Jenifer Bubenik, Program Director

During National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), Girl Scouts can join in recognizing and celebrating the profound and positive influence Hispanic Americans have had on our country. Hispanic culture is strong in its commitment to family, faith, hard work and service.

Did you know that Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 25% of North Carolina’s population increase over the past 20 years and the average age of Latinos living in North Carolina are 9 years old?

Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines has lots of exciting opportunities to help girls and troops learn more about this month while developing an awareness and appreciation of diversity. For the first time, we are offering a Discover Hispanic Heritage patch. Available year-round, this patch will help you to Discover, Take Action, and Connect with Hispanic culture. Fun activities include learning the Girl Scout Law in Spanish, reading about two Latina heroines and their life story, and becoming a pen pal with a Girl Scout/Girl Guide who lives in a Latin America country.

During September and October, our council will participate many different community events including UNIRUMBA, Fiesta del Pueblo, and the Durham Latino Fest. Girl Scouts are invited to stop by our booth and participate in a fun activity to learn more about other countries! This is also a great opportunity to try Hispanic foods and experience the music and dance from Central and South America.

On Sunday, September 28 we will host our Exploring Hispanic Culture event at Camp Mary Atkinson. Guests from countries such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Colombia will be sharing their culture through stories and artifacts. The Ballet Folklorico Guadalupano will also hold two dance performances, and Zumba with Nora will be teaching dance moves! This is going to be a fun day for the whole family!

In addition, you can learn more about Dia De los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Mexican holiday celebrated around the world with Centro Hispano on Saturday, November 1. Visit our full event calendar online and look for other community opportunities this year to explore Hispanic Culture with your Girl Scouts.

Make sure to share your photos and let us know what you and your troop learned this month.