Canisius is located near a very vibrant and active Spanish speaking community allowing us to create valuable service learning opportunities, and internships, and to forge important connections with the community through cultural events and professional relationships.
Community Engagement Project
Buffalo’s Latino Community
Activities we organize with students include:
- Performances at Buffalo’s Raíces Theater Company (a bilingual theater troupe)
- Foreign Film Screenings at the Buffalo International Film Festival
- Cultural Performances in Toronto
- Local Latino eateries
Related links:
- Raices Theater Home Page
- Local Bilingual Newspaper: Panorama Hispano
- Hispanic Heritage Council of WNY
- Justice for Migrant Families
- Hispanic Women’s League
Latinos & LGBTQ Speaker Series:
The Spanish Program hosts a Latino and an LGBTQ Speakers Series inviting writers, artists, activist, filmmakers, and others to come to classes, give free lectures, and conduct workshops with students.
Related links:
Border Initiative
The Border Initiative develops programs, events, and opportunities for our community to support justice for migrants, refugees, and those who meet and cross borders.
Annual Film Festival
The department now shows films through the Latinos & LGBTQ Speakers Series, the Borders & Migrations Initiative, and the BIFF (Buffalo International Film Festival).
Clubs and Activities
Canisius has a very large and active Latin American Students and Friends club, as well as Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honors Society. These clubs sponsor a wide variety of events from trivia nights, dance lessons, to film festivals, speakers, and many more events.
Our Honors Society, CEEP (Canisius Earning Excellence Program), and LASAF (Latin American Students and Friends) groups sponsor weekly telenovela and tertulia events to practice Spanish.
We also involve our international Spanish-speaking students in conversation practice/tertulias most days of the week. We also provide a writing tutor for our intermediate and advanced classes.