UPTON – In a world where sharing who we are and where we all come from is becoming the cornerstone to truly understanding our perspectives and paths in life, there is no better time to celebrate cultures and traditions. Recently, Blackstone Valley Tech students and staff contributed to an authentic cultural celebration and learning experiences through music, live performances, and interactive demonstrations at its Multicultural Festival.

There were a variety of cultural offerings. A Multicultural Center featured some traditional Day of the Dead activities and thoughtfully prepared presentations and posters on countries, cultures, and traditions. Many of the student presenters re native to the countries they chose to discuss. For example, Yara Alomar, a sophomore in Health Services, is a Palestinian-Jordanian American and is fluent in Arabic. She wanted to share her ancestry and culture with her peers at this event.

“I had an amazing time speaking with my peers and instructors about Jordan and Palestine,” said Yara Alomar. “We discussed clothing, food, music, and some pictures of a recent visit to Amman, Jordan. I’m glad that I was able to share a little piece of my home, and me essentially, with others in my school community.”

J&L Dance Studio instructors shared a brief history with those who had signed up for a lesson and taught the basic steps to dance Salsa or Bachata. While Chanel Thervil, a Haitian-American artist and educator, discussed culture, art and assisted students in creating a memory mosaic. The day also included a cultural performance by Veronica Robles, an authentic representative of Mexican music and culture. She performed a Dance Journey through Latin America, sharing dance, rhythms, and traditional outfits from Mexico, Peru, and Colombia.

“We are immensely proud of our student participants,” said Kerry Baldwin, World Language and Electives Department Team Leader at BVT. “We are thankful to everyone who helped make the Multicultural Festival a success.” 

The successful interdisciplinary event was a collaborative effort supported in part by grants from the Douglas, Grafton, Mendon, and Milford Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. 

Join in the celebration, explore the cultural offerings, and learn more by visiting the school website to view a video of the festivities produced by student videographers Alexis Vazquez and Abril Sanchez at: www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/multiculturalfesitival.