The three campuses of Pennsylvania Western University will join the celebration of National Hispanic (Latinx) Heritage Month Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 with on-campus and virtual events.

This year, PennWest’s Latinx Heritage Month celebration will begin with “Café con Leche: A Panel Discussion about Latinidad” at noon Sept. 15. The panel, moderated by faculty member Dr. Stephanie Diez-Morel (social work), will explore how culture impacts our daily lives and will feature Latinx faculty from Edinboro, California and Clarion.

Panelists include Dr. Sheila Lorenzo de la Peña (Edinboro, art therapy), Dr. Sandra Trejos (Clarion, economics) and students Lakshmi Cruz Galan and Emma Araujo.

To participate in the panel and following Q&A, access PennWest University’s Zoom link. To view the panel in its entirety, visit PennWest University’s YouTube channel for the live broadcast.

The U.S. collectively celebrates the significance of Sept. 15 as the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

“We are honored to embrace the past achievements of these communities by sharing the current narratives of folks here at PennWest,” Diez-Morel said. “The focus of this year’s events will be on exploring ‘Latinidad’ and how culture impacts all our lives. "

PennWest’s Art Therapy program welcomes participants to Edinboro’s Butterfield studio (room 105) 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursdays in September to practice Spanish, with instruction and guidance in English and Spanish on the following dates:

Sept. 14: Amate styled designs

Sept. 21: Create your own upcycled Junk Journal

Sept. 28: Getting ready for Inktober with artist trading cards (ATCs)