As Connecticut’s Latino community grows, a new bill has been introduced to assist Connecticut Public Schools in developing and implementing educational programs specifically for Latino children.
The bill would direct $400,000 from the General Fund to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for Connecticut Public Broadcasting to develop Latino educational programming for K-12 students.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to secure some funding this time around and get this rolling,” said Rep. Juan Candelaria, a Democrat from New Haven who introduced the legislation. “We introduced the bill last legislative session, but everything was moving so quickly and we never got to pass it.”
Candelaria emphasized the importance of students understanding what is going on in their community and children having access to educational programming.
Mark Contreras, president and CEO of Connecticut Public, stated that the nonprofit organization is dedicated to serving the Hispanic and Latino communities by providing valuable resources through public media.
As part of this effort, Connecticut Public conducted a statewide listening tour to directly engage with residents and learn about their news preferences, preferred language, and desired content. The feedback revealed a high demand for bilingual educational programming, indicating a critical need in the community.
The proposed bill would allow Connecticut Public to expand their ability to provide bilingual educational programming for children on television and digital platforms.
“The Latino population in Connecticut is growing, and they deserve access to more news reporting, programming, informational, and educational resources that we can provide,” said Vanessa de la Torre, chief content officer at Connecticut Public.
The Hispanic and Latino population in Connecticut increased by 30% between 2010 and 2020, outpacing national growth, according to the United States Census.
One of the main reasons this program was so popular during the listening tour was that parents want their children to be bilingual and connected to their culture. According to De la Torre, many parents have expressed difficulty in maintaining their children’s Spanish language skills.
“That is one important aspect of the bill,” De la Torre stated. “The funding would support the acquisition and distribution of bilingual children’s educational programming and enable us to plan to develop and implement more bilingual resources when it comes to community information.”
Connecticut Public, a PBS and NPR affiliate, offers digital platforms in both English and Spanish to better reach its diverse audience. PBS Kids is the station’s children’s programming platform.
CT Public’s Chief Development Officer, Deidre M. Tavera, stated that the nonprofit is working to ensure that families have access to and are aware of this resource.
“So, for families that don’t have access to early learning, whether it’s because you’re living in a city where access to early learning is not possible, or in a rural area where learning centers don’t exist, these resources are available for a parent, a family member, a caregiver,” according to her.
In addition, Connecticut Public ensures that families have access to programming even if they do not have internet access by providing three television signals, including PBS 24-7.
“Many Latinos across the state would benefit from this, and it enriches our understanding of our neighbors and issues that we mutually care about in Connecticut,” she said.