El Otro Lado in the Schools

Journey to “the Other Side” with El Otro Lado in the Schools
El Otro Lado in the Schools brings classrooms alive through story-based, arts-rich experiential learning in Santa Fe Public Schools.

Since 2009, El Otro Lado has brought teachers, artists, and students together to access and share their stories. Each week, participants use journaling, recorded oral narratives, photography, visual arts, music, and movement to learn together. This learning expands within the classroom as teachers adapt these methods to other areas of teaching, and extends beyond the classroom as participants present their stories and art in a community culmination and celebration at the end of the school year.

El Otro Lado is changing the cultures of our classrooms and nurturing connection, empathy, and respect. Through sharing their stories, teachers and students learn to see each other in new ways.


Learning Experience

Connection to place – where we are from and how we experience belonging – is at the heart of El Otro Lado.

Parents, abuelos, nietos and family members: share a story from your own childhood with one other person. Use the prompts below  to spark your memory:

  • What is a memory of a scent from you home as a child? What does that smell remind you of?
  • Describe a place you visited often when you were growing up. What do you remember about it?
  • Can you tell a story about either of your grandparents?
  • Can you describe your mother or father?

El Otro Lado Application

Are you interested in bringing El Otro Lado to your school, organization, or community? Fill out our application form to learn more.

El Otro Lado Application

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To learn more about El Otro Lado in the Schools use the form below to contact The Academy.

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