February 21, 2023

Congressman Castro Announces Nearly $200,000 in Federal Funding for Arts and Literacy Education on San Antonio’s Westside

SAN ANTONIO – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) visited Centro Cultural Aztlan and Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore to announce nearly $200,000 in federal funding he secured for arts and literacy education on San Antonio’s Westside. 

The funding, which includes $95,000 for Centro Cultural Aztlan’s K-12 Chicano Arts Curriculum and $102,250 for Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore Education Outreach and Literacy Program, comes from a total package of $15.6 million that Congressman Castro secured for community projects in San Antonio through the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process.

 

First image: Rep. Castro presents $95,000 in federal funding to Centro Cultural Aztlan. Second Image: Rep. Castro announces $102,250 in federal funding for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center with students from JT Brackenridge Elementary School. 

To download these images in high-quality, click here and here.

“Latino art, culture, and history are an integral part of San Antonio’s story,” said Congressman Castro. “I’m proud to have worked with Centro Cultural Aztlan and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center to get this funding, which will strengthen education and literacy programs on our city’s Westside. Too often, Latino children do not see themselves reflected in the textbooks and curriculum that help shape their perspectives of the world around them. These new resources will help empower students of all ages to get excited about learning and explore the significant contributions Latinos have made to our city, state, and country.”

During his visit to Centro Cultural Aztlan, Congressman Castro met with local artists and community leaders to discuss how the new funding will support the center’s work with artists, educators, historians, and cultural experts to develop lesson plans with audio-visual resources and age-appropriate art activities to engage K-12 students in learning about Chicano art, culture, and history. Congressman Castro also viewed the center’s 46th annual Segundo de Febrero: Chicana/Chicano Reunion exhibit as part of his visit.

To learn more about Centro Cultural Aztlan, click here. 

During his visit to Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Bookstore, Congressman Castro held a book reading with second-grade students from San Antonio Independent School District’s JT Brackenridge Elementary School. Together with leaders from the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, he also discussed how the new funding will support the Latino Bookstore’s work to offer expanded, expert-designed, culturally relevant, and locally situated bilingual programs to underscore literacy as a social practice and to support the educational advancement of local children and other Texas constituents.  

To learn more about the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, click here.

To read more about federal investments for San Antonio through the FY2023 appropriations process, click here.