The Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures recently made the Brock News! Check out the full article here:
Brock-Niagara French Contest inspires confidence through community
Intermediate Spanish students shared their experiential education projects with the community on March 31 in Brock’s Global Commons. Over the past academic year, students in SPAN 1F90 interviewed local Spanish speaking organizations to learn about their cultural impact and created videos in Spanish sharing what they learned about the organizations at an end-of-year gathering.
Brock News recently published a story about students using Spanish skills to tell stories of community impact.
A Brock project is spreading the word about the ways Spanish speakers contribute to the Niagara community while providing a meaningful opportunity for students to apply their language skills.
Students in SPAN 1F90 — offered by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures (MLLC) — interviewed representatives from more than 10 local Spanish-speaking groups and businesses. The project was supported by Brock Co-op, Career and Experiential Education.
Through these conversations, students learned about organizations’ achievements, challenges and perspectives while building meaningful community connections.
Fourth-year Physical Education student Rohan Goldblatt (left) and first-year Kinesiology student Alejandra Hernandez (middle) interviewed Anyi Mendez, Director of Cultural Niagara Corporation (right) to learn about the large-scale cultural events the organization puts on to help build community for Spanish and non-Spanish speakers in Niagara.
First-year Kinesiology student Alejandra Hernandez and fourth-year Physical Education student Rohan Goldblatt interviewed Anyi Mendez, Director of Cultural Niagara Corporation (CNC).
Mendez and CNC host large-scale events in Niagara focused on celebrating cultural heritage including the St. Catharines Flower and Wine Festival and Dia de Muertos en Niagara.
Goldblatt was struck by how Mendez fosters connection through her work, especially for newcomers adjusting to life in the region.
“It is inspiring how Anyi and CNC are supporting people to overcome the challenges of moving to a new country and helping to connect them with others,” he said.
Through the interview process, Hernandez learned Mendez draws inspiration from her children, who have motivated her to create safe and welcoming spaces for families and people of all ages.
“That’s what hit us most — it only takes one person, with one goal, to create a whole community that grows and thrives,” Hernandez said.
CNC events not only provide opportunities for people to come together to enjoy food, music and culture, but serve the important purpose of passing on cultural traditions and heritage from generation to generation.
Goldblatt said learning about the cultural organization has helped him understand “the why” behind learning a language.
“Our lessons have gone beyond traditional readings and lectures. Verb conjugations are important, but having the opportunity to connect with a community member who is making a difference in people’s lives has been impactful,” he said.
Mendez said partnering with Brock as part of the course has been an honour.
“Being part of this project has allowed our organization to gain more visibility. By giving recognition to our work and sharing our events and stories, together with students, we are making a difference. Brock is also bringing Spanish and non-Spanish speakers together for shared experiences,” Mendez said.
Mendez’s perspective was one of many shared with the Brock and wider community on March 31 in Brock’s Global Commons. The event included a video screening of student work presented in Spanish followed by a panel discussion.
MLLC Instructor and project designer Erin Redmond said the goal was to raise awareness of the contributions of Niagara Spanish speakers to the region “while building connections among project participants and members of the wider community.”
Redmond presented the experiential project at the Modern Language Association Convention in January and will also present it at Brock’s Centre for Pedagogical Innovation’s Spring Perspectives on Teaching and Learning on Monday, May 4.
“Through hands-on learning, we are helping students improve language skills and grow their cultural knowledge,” she said.
Participating community partners included:
Join us for an engaging session where Amir Issaa, a Black Italian rapper, activist, and educator, will discuss his music, career, and activist work.
Registration Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/cz3w4xr8
Contact information: Rachel Grasso, [email protected]
Experience BU Link: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/323467
Join ITAL/CANA 2Q93 for
Critical approaches to Molisana Identities
When: March 3, 2026 at 4-5:30PM ET (Toronto), on Zoom
Link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/88593835182
Experience BU Link: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/322945
Cassandra Marsillo (Molisana Italian-Canadian) is a public historian and artist based in Tiohtiá:ke (Montréal), telling and listening to stories about immigration, identity, collective memory, food, and folklore, particularly in relation to the Italian-Canadian experience and traditions from her family’s region, Molise. www.artistorian.com
In this talk, Cassandra will speak about the particularities of being Molisana, efforts to keep the community alive and thriving, the importance of intergenerational connections, and the work within the Italian-Canadian community towards anti-racism justice for all.
All welcome!
Join us on March 3, 2026 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm for an engaging session where Fred Kudjo Kuwornu, a Black Italian filmmaker, will discuss his work on Black Italia, such as Blaxploitalian: 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema, Inside Buffalo, 18 Ius Soli, and We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe.
Join us on February 24 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm for an engaging session where Barbara Ofosu-Somuah, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Romance Studies at Duke University, will discuss her research on Black Italia.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/44p6bwyv
Brock News: Black Italian culture course explores concepts of identity
Experience BU link: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/322958
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 — noon – 1p.m.
Race, Citizenship, and the Global Far-Right
Dr. Camilla Hawthorne (University of California)
Join us for an engaging session where Dr. Hawthorne, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will discuss her research on Black Italy.
Register with Zoom: https://tinyurl.com/44ywzmb7
Experience BU link: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/318014
Black Italy: Shifts in Italian Culture
Guest Speaker: Dr. Angelica Pesarini
January 20, 2026, 1:00 pm on Zoom
Join us for an engaging session where Dr. Angelica Pesarini an Assistant Professor in Race and Cultural Studies/Race and Diaspora and Italian Studies at the University of Toronto, will discuss her research on Black Italia.
Experience BU Link: https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/317118
Italian Explorers and Missionaries in North America: First Contact and Cultural Narratives
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Paolo Frasca
January 20, 2026, 4:00 pm on Zoom
https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/81548415840
Dr. Paolo Frascà will join ITAL /CANA 2Q93 to discuss Italian involvement in the early colonization of Turtle Island, with particular attention to how colonial figures are narrated, glorified, and challenged.
Experience BU Link: (https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/317072)
