Meet Ezra. He is a fourth-grade scholar at AF Bushwick Elementary’s Empower Program. Ezra is classified with Autism and due to his diagnosis of Apraxia, he is non-verbal. He uses a method of communication called RPM (Rapid Prompting Method), in which he touches letters on an alphabet stencil/board to talk and answer questions in class. […]

This October, we have put together a fall book list! curl up with a book that fits the season. We have your books set in autumn, your scary thrillers, and your cozy pageturners right here! Do you have more fall book recommendations? Send them to moments@achievementfirst.org and we’ll add them to a future list! Elementary […]

When you ask Elm City College Prep Middle students – and sisters—Leislani and Milani why celebrating Latinx Heritage month is important, the reason is clear. It is for their ancestors. For the girls, celebrating their ancestors is essential. And, honoring their roots and remembering how culture is formed are two ways they choose to celebrate. […]

Hi, Jayvien! What is your favorite part about being Latinx? I’m Dominican, and my favorite part is probably the food, especially locrio de salami con maiz. It’s white rice, and then my mom puts ingredients in it to make it orange, and then she puts in salami and then she cooks it with the rice […]

Whoever you are, you are welcome. That is the message Gabby wants every member of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) at AF Amistad High to receive.  Now LASO’s president, this is a culture Gabby has helped build within the organization since she joined it four years ago. A 12th-grader, Gabby is proud that LASO […]

Latinx Heritage Month is a time for celebrating family. For Josmeilyn, an AF North Brooklyn Prep Middle seventh- grader, that means celebrating family roots in the Dominican Republic. It is a culture she identifies with deeply. Josmeilyn knows what it is to be a New Yorker. And she knows what it is to be Dominican, […]

In honor of Latinx Heritage month, we’ve put together a book list featuring Latinx authors and characters. The collection offers options for students in elementary, middle, and high school — we also added a few books for our parents and teachers. Do you have more Latinx book recommendations? Send them to moments@achievementfirst.org and we’ll add […]

In celebrating Latinx Heritage Month, we are celebrating something much bigger than any one tradition. This month is a recognition of persistence, resistance, and pride. What is Latinx Heritage Month? The textbooks will tell us about its origins. We know that it began as a week-long observance in 1968. The month-long celebration, as we know […]