Project Recuerdo
Our stories are powerful.
Project Recuerdo, a bilingual family journal initiative and 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, brings an often-omitted narrative into the classroom — the lived experiences of families themselves. The project begins with storytelling: families share personal stories with their children through the oral tradition and document those conversations in a keepsake writing journal. Educators then integrate these family stories into classroom instruction, validating community members as protagonists to admire and learn from.
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Click here to see Project Recuerdo on Instagram
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Roots run deep...
"The family and cultural stories Lopez collected in her grandparents’ kitchen and her self-discovery research moved her to incorporate her students’ family knowledge and cultural histories into her classroom. She developed an annual family engagement activity, Project Recuerdo, in which students interview family members and journal about their experiences. That rich storytelling informs Lopez’s curriculum and instruction throughout the year."
From "Michelle Lopez, a billingual educator dreaming big for her school and community" by Hannah Fletcher, CU Boulder
Michelle López is a third, fourth and fifth grade biliteracy teacher at Garden Place Academy in the Globeville neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. She leads Project Recuerdo, a family engagement initiative that capitalizes on stories, identity, and cultural richness. When she designed this project, she remembered her grandparents and the countless stories they shared with her. Their accounts proved priceless in both her personal life and in the classroom, as "these personal narratives mapped the way through struggle, success, loss, triumph and happiness."
In a fight against deficit-based thinking, Ms. Lopez created Project Recuerdo to give accessibility to all families and to validate their current skills and knowledge. Cultural capital of marginalized communities goes unrecognized in dominant systems that uphold monolingualism and white middle class values such as relationship dynamics and traditional methods of family engagement. Project Recuerdo challenges bias and prejudice, humanizes community members and connects all stakeholders.
Click here to read more from Project Recuerdo: Honoring Latinx Families’ Knowledge Within the School, a qualitative study conducted during the 2019-2021 school year.​​​