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Del Alma
Mission and Vision 
Del Alma
seeks to promote cultural competence and educational excellence
for multicultural achievement.
We look to provide a safe, nurturing, and learning environment
where students can receive cultural instruction while developing
their academic skills.
Through our programs students feel valued, experience success,
and develop confidence to make positive life choices.
Our goal is to have our students learn to understand and
appreciate the value and contribution that all cultures make to
the community and the world in which we live.
Del Alma’s programs are based on the principles of positive youth
development, an approach that supports children and youth to be
engaged and reach their full potential. We focus on the
development of their inherent strengths to promote healthy
behavioral development. All programs provide the building
blocks of development that all children need in order to grow up
healthy, caring and responsible.
Del
Alma began as Durango Latino Education Coalition in 1995 to
provide free tutoring and dance programs for school age children
in Durango. Programs quickly grew and in 2007 we began doing business
as Del Alma. In 2009, we merged with Durango Adult Education Center. We are proud to announce that we will
continue the following positive youth programs:
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Alma After School,
modeled on the Colorado educational standards-based
curriculum entitled The Alma Project, developed by Denver
Public Schools. Activities are literacy-based lessons about
the cultural and historical contributions of various
ethnicities represented in the United States. Each
instructional unit is project based, incorporating fun
cultural activities, games, food, dance, art, language, etc.
The program enrolls students in grades K – 8, who
meet weekly after-school at Park and Needham elementary
schools, and our newest program, the Junior High Alma Lunch
Program at Miller Middle schools. Another group meets twice
weekly at the Durango Adult Education Center.
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Ballet Folklorico de Durango,
a group of 25 students, mostly Hispanic, ages 4-18, who
rehearse weekly and perform Mexican Folklore dance for
groups and events in La Plata County over 30 times yearly.
They have been dancing for events in our community since
1995.
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Prejudice Elimination Action
Teams(PEAT) at Durango
High School, and Miller and Escalante Middle schools, who
earn the No Place for Hate® designation of the
Anti-Defamation League. These students work together and
develop a minimum of three specific projects that enhance
the appreciation of diversity and foster harmony amongst
diverse groups. The program empowers students to promote
respect for individual and group differences while
challenging prejudice.
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