2020
In January, Hola Cultura launched the Storytelling Program for Experiential Learning (SPEL) to assist its young contributors with academic and professional development, while expanding its free services for the community. By March, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to take our programs online and reinvent how we work. Recognizing that our audience stretches far beyond D.C., Hola Cultura opened a few SPEL positions to candidates from around the country. These teenagers and young adults met weekly online and produced 20 original online stories, about a third of the total story production that year. This complemented the Spanish-language articles published every Monday for our Spanish-dominant readership.