Send a Message to the Students in Bolivia

I know that both educators and parents are going to love this opportunity, because it allows your students and children to communicate with and help other students in another country - Bolivia!

Part of raising children who do not see in color, but in words and actions, is teaching them to see with their heart and find the beauty in differences. It's teaching our children to understand that there are others like us, in another part of the world, who may or may not look like us, but have the same hopes and dreams that we have.

The World Food Programme is working in Bolivia to provide nutritious meals for children in schools. As part of their project, they are inviting other people from around the world to get to know the children in the Huarimarca School in Bolivia, who benefit from their program. Your class or children, can ask a question to the children in Bolivia. The message may be in English or Spanish and will be translated (if needed) and delivered by Ximena, WFP’s Communications Officer there.

What a fantastic opportunity for your kids! You can learn more and send your message here.

Watch this video to learn more...

Social Responsibility Begins With Us

As a parent, I feel that the best way to teach my children about social responsibility is to demonstrate it myself. That means through actions and words. So we talk about issues like helping others who are less fortunate, learn about things we don't understand, and do our small part to make our home, town, country, and world a better place.

I think that as a blogger, I am doubly obligated to focus on social good. I have a platform that is perfect for teaching and helping others. In my experience, the written word can so often prove to be a powerful motivator. And I think all bloggers should use their sites to "pay it forward," so to speak. If we have the ears (eyes) of others, we should use the opportunity to help make our own little niche a better place and a source of inspiration.

Obviously I am passionate about education, and from time to time, I want to write and share articles that promote social responsibility and The Golden Rule. Laurita's article yesterday, was just one example of how I want to be able to share knowledge and express support. I hope that you took a moment to learn about spina bifida so that the next time you meet someone who is affected by this condition, you can interact with them in a knowledgeable and compassionate manner.

I believe that social media and mobile technology are powerful tools for spreading awareness and doing good. Over the next few months, I'm looking forward to sharing more articles on MommyMaestra on other organizations and programs that focus on health and education. And if you follow my Facebook page, you've already seen me sharing articles and resources on these subjects and others.

What do you think? Should bloggers and other social media professionals use their platforms in a socially responsible way? 

Con mucho cariño...

Disclaimer: I was compensated for writing this article, which was written in conjunction with the LATISM Social Good Goes Mobile Blog Tour.

Knowledge Conquers Fear: October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month

Dear readers, the following article was written by my friend, Laurita Tellado, the founder of HoldinOutForAHero.org. Because I wish to use MommyMaestra as a tool to support others in need and promote good will among our families, I have chosen to share her story and endorse her as she fights for and supports families with spina bifida. If you do not know about this condition, please take a moment to read her heartfelt article...

October is an eerie month, filled with monsters, mummies, and the macabre. But while the occasional witch or skeleton might freak you out, one must concede that there are indeed more frightening things– like finding out your child will be born with spina bifida.

And yet, each day in the U.S., an average of eight families welcome a child with spina bifida into the world. Annually, an estimated 1,500 infants are born with spina bifida each year in the U.S.

I was born with spina bifida nearly two and a half decades ago. The diagnosis came as a total shock to my family, along with an entire set of secondary complications. I was also born with hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain.” During the first ten years of my life, it seemed I was in the hospital every other week with a bladder infection or shunt malfunction. I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t really scary at times.

But then, at age ten, I discovered a fantastic way to defeat my worst fears– knowledge. I vowed I would educate myself and read up on the condition that, up until that point, seemed to be taking over my life. Much like a child who imagines a ghost is in his closet, grabs a flashlight and realizes it’s only an old coat, I had come to the realization that, when you take the time to learn about something, no matter how terrifying it may seem at first, everything is less scary in the light of knowledge.

According to the Spina Bifida Association of America, “spina bifida remains the most commonly occurring birth defect in this country.” Just how common is it overall? PubMed Health, the Web site of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, reported in March of this year: “Myelomeningocele [the most severe form of spina bifida] may affect as many as 1 out of every 800 infants.”

As a 21-year member of the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida, I’m doing my part to shed light on this condition by raising money for the Walk-N-Roll for Spina Bifida. When my parents and I moved from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida in search of better educational and healthcare opportunities for me in 1990, we found a support system away from our family and homeland in joining the SBACFL. My personal search for a public spokesperson for the spina bifida cause, as well as my work as a current member of the SBACFL board of directors, have helped me find my true purpose– galvanizing as many people as possible to support the spina bifida community.

So, in the spirit of shedding light on a little-known condition, and in honor of October, which is Spina Bifida Awareness Month, here are some statistics about spina bifida that might spook you a bit:


● Spina bifida is more common than muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis combined.


● Latinos have the highest incidence of spina bifida out of all the ethnic groups.


● Ireland is the country with the highest incidence of spina bifida in the world.


● About 50 percent of babies with spina bifida areselectively aborted after being diagnosed with spina bifida.


● Doctors recommend that every woman of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida up to 70 percent of the time. In spite of this, there are currently an estimated 166,000people in the U.S. living with spina bifida– up from just 76,000 just last year.


● About 90 percent of people with spina bifida are also born with hydrocephalus. Many need a shunt inserted near the brain to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid– and many requiremultiple shunt replacements during their lives.


● Other very common secondary conditions include bladder and bowel incontinence, as well as frequent urinary tract infections.


● After the onset of puberty, young people with spina bifida are more prone to clinical depression than most people. Researchers think this may be due in part to social isolation.

Being able to share this information with all of you today is without a doubt the most empowering and inspiring aspect of my life. I’d love nothing more than to give you that very sense of empowerment. Please publish this post on your own Web site(s), and feel free to add your own personal intro that will make it relevant to your blog followers. As many people as I’ve managed to rally in support of this cause, you have an advantage that I don’t–your audience. So, please share this information with everyone you come into contact with.


Below is a video that explains just why the Spina Bifida Association of Central Florida means so much to me, and why I’m participating in the Walk-N-Roll.

I will be raising money online for Team Holdin’ Out for a Hero until October 29th, when we have our Walk-N-Roll event. Donations can be as small as $5 or as large as $50,000. (Yes, I do like the $50,000 better!) Every cent counts! Every cent of every dollar will go towards supporting families affected by spina bifida in 22 counties in and around the Central Florida region and supporting educational and awareness efforts.


Yes, to the new parent, or even to the already-grown individual, spina bifida can seem like a scary thing to deal with. But there’s a power in numbers and a strength in awareness– a strength that gives us the courage to open the closet, shine the light in the ghost’s face, and reduce it to nothing but an old coat.


Thank you for helping me conquer my biggest fear– ignorance of spina bifida.


~ Laurita Tellado, HoldinOutforaHero.org

Celebrate Earth Hour TONIGHT

Tonight we will be joining millions of people around the world as we celebrate Earth Hour.

At 8:30 pm tonight, people and businesses are encouraged to turn off all of their lights to take a stand against climate change and to support responsible management of our Earth's resources. But this year, world citizens are encouraged to go beyond the hour and commit to a more responsible lifestyle and stewardship of our planet.

Earth Hour has a wonderful website that you can visit for more information, or to create your own lantern, like the one above.

You can download a free education pack here (scroll down the page). In addition, Pocoyo is supporting this event as well, and has some great activities for children on their site.

Won't you join us tonight?

Con mucho cariño...

The Smithsonian Latino Center's Young Ambassadors Program

Do you have a high school senior in your family? Or maybe you know someone who does? Then make sure you pass along this information: The Smithsonian Latino Center's Young Ambassadors Program is currently accepting applications for this year's program.

A national, interdisciplinary leadership development program for graduating high school seniors, the Young Ambassador's Program selects up to 24 students to participate in an all-expenses paid training seminar in Washington, D.C. AND a four-week internship during the month of July, in museums and cultural centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The goal of the program is to empower young Latinos by developing their leadership and academic skills, as well as to encourage pride in their own cultural heritage.

The deadline for this year's applicants is April 8th. Students can apply online.

I strongly believe that Latino youth need to be encouraged and supported academically, but especially in the fields of science/technology and math, where Latinos are grossly underrepresented. I appreciate that the mission of the Young Ambassador's Program is to foster the next generation of Latino leaders in the fields of arts, sciences, and humanities.

If you have more questions, or want to explore this program some more, take a look at their website.

Con mucho cariño...

For Japan with Love, From Mommy Maestra

Tomorrow, Friday, March 18th, I will be joining bloggers in a Day of Silence in honor of the many victims (and indeed the whole country) of Japan's recent catastrophe. If you'd like to know more about the project, or to donate money to Shelter Box, one of the first organizations contacted by Japan to help with the disaster relief, you can visit www.ForJapanWithLove.com