Literacy Camp Highlights, Annual Celebration, and more!
- Kathryn López Resto
- Aug 15
- 3 min read
BILINGUAL LITERACY CAMP
August 3-6, 2026
This month we hosted our first ever community-based Bilingual Literacy Camp! 25 children participated, and 4 middle-school youth, 6 high-school youth, and 10 adult volunteers assisted. We met for one day at Schiffler Park in Beaverton and then relocated indoors due to heat and poor air quality. We were grateful to use the Beaverton Baha'i Center for the remaining 3 days of the camp. The camp primarily supported Spanish-speaking students; some attend bilingual/dual-language elementary schools, while others do not. All children were supported to take their next steps in both Spanish and English literacy. Children had daily opportunities to read and write in both languages. Literacy groups were kept small in order to provide targeted attention, and middle- and high-school youth mentored and supported students as reading buddies.
It was an honor to welcome two local authors to read their books to the children: Herlin Alvarez and Ana Ruiz Morillo. Both brought activities to accompany their readings: word searches, active play, and making seed bombs. Children learned from Herlin about the value of each individual's unique gifts and from Ana about how to be a superhero for the planet! A mother and grandmother also showed the participants how to plant seeds in small pots. Other parents contributed beautifully prepared snacks and helped with transportation. Many thanks to all who donated time, resources, love, and talent to make this camp a unifying and joyful experience!
Summer Partnership: Girls Build
Last month, 4 girls were supported by Empower Youth Latinx to participate in a week of Girls Build camp on the University of Portland campus. Girls Build is an incredible Portland-based nonprofit organization that empowers girls across Oregon and beyond by holding camps every summer where women teach girls to use power tools for carpentry, welding, blacksmithing, and more. This year, our girls built 3-legged wooden stools, made chopsticks, pounded copper, designed cloth bags with pockets, and created treasure boxes out of wood and sheet metal. The smiles on the girls' faces as they showed us their creations and the proud looks on their parents' faces said it all.
To learn more about the organization's mission and work, click the button below:
Celebrando Jóvenes con Visión
Our Annual Fundraiser is coming back!
Join us for Celebrando Jóvenes con Visión, an evening dedicated to celebrating the dreams, leadership, and potential of Latino youth in our community.
Your support helps Empower Youth Latinx continue creating culturally responsive opportunities where young people can build confidence, strengthen their leadership skills, connect with their culture, and envision bigger possibilities for their futures.
Come celebrate our jóvenes, our community, and the incredible impact we can create together.
Celebrando Jóvenes con Visión — because when we invest in our youth, we invest in the future of our community.
Location: 5100 NE Hidden Creek Dr, Hillsboro, OR 97124
Date/Time: September 13, 2026, 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Get Involved!
We are actively looking for Guías — trusted guides and mentors — to support youth in our programs.
Guías help students feel seen, supported, and encouraged as they develop leadership skills, explore identity, and set personal and academic goals.
What do Guías do?
Attend weekly sessions or check-ins
Build positive, supportive relationships with youth
Encourage goal-setting, accountability, and confidence
Share resources, life experience, and cultural pride
Celebrate milestones and progress along the way
Interested in becoming a Guía? Contact KLo!
Donating Opportunities
We are officially more than halfway to our 2026 funding goal! Out of our $120,000 target, we’ve already raised approximately $67,000 through community contributions and grants.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has invested in this work — thank you for believing in our youth and our mission.
There is still many ways to give!
Support Empower Youth Latinx with Every Grocery Delivery!
Empower Youth Latinx invests in bilingual literacy, mentorship, and leadership programs for Latinx youth. Your everyday grocery routine could help fund:
Youth leadership circles and mentorship
Culturally rooted education and bilingual literacy
Community events and workshops
You can contribute through our website — whether it’s a one-time gift or a weekly, monthly, or yearly contribution, every donation helps strengthen our community and create opportunities for our youth!
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