Promoting a love of literacy: that’s the primary goal of Learn Tampa Bay, a 501-c3 nonprofit in Plant City’s Historic Downtown.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Learn Tampa Bay will be hosting the first annual Hispanic Heritage Festival as a fundraiser. The event will celebrate Hispanic culture through traditional cuisine, music and games.
The event also closes out Hispanic Heritage Month.
“This event is out of control in a good way,” Learn Tampa Bay Director Angelica Ibarra said. She has been coordinating students, sponsors and parents. “I’ve lived in this community for 30-plus years. That I know of, nobody has done an event like this.”
Ibarra has found sponsorships through a number of organizations and businesses in the Plant City community for the festival, including SunCoast Credit Union, Publix and La Feria Mini Market.
The Hispanic community has reached out in support of the event as well. Local bands have agreed to perform, including Instinto, Izenzible, Mariachi Loco and Ladrones del Norte. The festival will have daytime activities for families, with bands performing in the evening.
“The support was tremendous,” Ibarra said.
The Hispanic Heritage Festival also will serve as a way for students of Learn Tampa Bay to learn about their culture. Ballet Folklorico Raices de Mexico, a nonprofit group from Clearwater, has volunteered to teach attendees traditional dances from Mexico.
ABOUT LEARN TAMPA BAY
On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons every week, 40 elementary school-aged children flock to the nonprofit’s building on East Baker Street, where they receive homework help and literacy skills that will help them in all aspects of life.
“One of the things we’re doing is preparing them for the future,” Ibarra said.
The nonprofit also seeks to help the students’ families through adult education programs. Adult education classes are available weekday mornings, as well as programs for children between the ages of 2 and 5. While the kids are in class, parents are taught computer skills and how to help their children with homework.
“One of the things we really stress in the program is a love of reading,” Ibarra said. “We encourage parents to read to children.”
To tie the festival to the importance of literacy, Learn Tampa Bay students will be writing essays about their Hispanic heroes. The essay winner will be announced at the event.
“They’re excited,” Ibarra said of the students. “The moms said that they’re anxious.”
Since becoming a 501-c3 nonprofit in 2014, funding remains a top priority for Learn Tampa Bay. Ibarra hopes that the Hispanic Heritage Festival will raise $10,000 for the nonprofit.
The biggest needs for Learn Tampa Bay are occupancy expenses and paying the salaries of the instructors. Last year, the organization ended its fiscal year in the red.
“We probably work with 80 individuals a year, trying to make sure each one has improved in their literacy,” Ibarra said. “It takes a lot of planning … we need to meet goals as an organization. There are many nonprofits that are in the same situation we’re in.”
Although Learn Tampa Bay instructors and volunteers help children with all homework subjects, Ibarra has noticed that the biggest struggle for most children is in reading. Students are required to know how to read and write at a younger age. Learn Tampa Bay is always in need of reading materials for students, including children’s books and workbooks in English and Spanish.
“We’re having to get very creative in the instruction we provide to the children,” she said. “[They] have to be much, much better prepared.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
Inaugural Hispanic Heritage Festival
WHEN: Family activities are from 12 to 5 p.m.; evening activities are from 7 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17
WHERE: John R. Trinkle Center, 1206 N. Park Road
COST: Free, except for the purchase of food and beverages
WANT TO SPONSOR?
Businesses can email Angelica Ibarra at angelica@tampbabayliteracy.org.