Fort Pierce - Saturday November 18 2023: CAFÉ Latino, a grassroots service organization created by faculty members at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), has received the National Diversity in Extension Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The award is one of only three top national honors given each year by the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), the Cooperative Extension System, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).
CAFÉ Latino, formally known as the Coalition of Florida Extension Educators for the Latino Community, was formed in 2016. A growing number of UF faculty and have joined CAFÉ Latino which has been serving the growing and underserved Spanish-speaking population by creating affordable access to science-based educational materials and training. Their efforts have attracted national attention, and CAFÉ Latino is now seen as a successful model for achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism across Extension programs.
The USDA's National Diversity in Extension Award is a recognition of the coalition's accomplishments in modeling methods for language access, affinity groups and reaching new communities. Since its inception, CAFÉ Latino efforts have led to increased collaboration between agents and specialists of diverse subject matter areas, locations and communities.
“The mission of UF/IFAS is to reach everyone who can benefit from the science of solutions, including Florida’s 5 million Spanish speakers," said J. Scott Angle, UF’s interim provost and senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. "CAFÉ Latino’s board and Extension faculty have been a champion for increasing our reach."
Florida is home to the country’s third largest Spanish speaking population. Nearly 6 million call the Sunshine State home, and their numbers are growing. Spanish is the first language for many, with more than 70% of this population speaking the language at home.
The work of CAFÉ Latino represents an innovative approach to serving the needs of this community. CAFE Latino connects the Spanish speaking population in Florida with the resources, education and training provided by UF/IFAS Extension faculty located across Florida.
“CAFÉ Latino saw a need to equip Extension offices statewide with cultural competence that would connect the Hispanic and Latino population with resources, education and training,” said John Diaz, Café Latino president and a UF/IFAS associate professor and Extension specialist. “Providing statewide support has led to increased capacity for Extension educators to address the needs of these communities, locally, providing the ability of their communities to obtain critical resources in Spanish. We are honored to receive this recognition by USDA, Cooperative Extension and the APLU.”
Since the Spring of 2018, Café Latino’s focus has been shaped by the collaborative efforts of an executive committee led by Diaz, Karla Shelnutt, professor and Extension nutrition specialist for the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Jonael Bosques-Mendez, agriculture agent and UF/IFAS Extension Hardee County director and Laura Valencia, 4-H youth development agent at UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County.
With 73 CAFÉ Latino faculty members serving Florida’s 67 counties, the team of bilingual faculty volunteers represents a range of expertise in agriculture, natural resources, 4-H youth development, lawn and garden and more. They have increased access to a variety of science-based educational materials through various approaches, technologies, and modalities for Spanish-speaking communities and Extension professions. This has been accomplished by developing educational resources and translations to Extension peer-reviewed documents, training that includes program development, evaluation, culturally responsive teaching, and intercultural competence, and by providing collaborative support and general guidance to serving the Spanish-speaking communities in Florida.
“We have developed hundreds of resources and helped thousands acquire knowledge, change behaviors, and adopt science-based approaches to improve their livelihoods, health, agricultural enterprises, and environment,” said Bosquez-Mendez. “There is still a lot of work that can be done, and we are always seeking to connect with others to expand efforts as well as seek support because what we do is in addition to our roles.”