DE QUEEN, AR— An inclusive group in Southwest Arkansas has provided Sponsorship of the Central Arkansas Spanish Spelling Bee this Hispanic Heritage month.

MAC is a De Queen-based non-profit organization with a focus on diversity and inclusion that formed in 2020. The group has initiated local programs and projects throughout Southwest Arkansas in recent years, including the commissioning of community artwork, hosting a black history month celebration, sponsoring foster care children, support of the E. A Edwards Street Dedication, and many local community initiatives.

For their latest outreach effort, MAC has teamed up with LaTasha Moore of "Tasha Teaches Spanish" for sponsorship of the state's Spanish spelling Bee. It is the only Spanish spelling competition in Arkansas, and the purpose of this event is to encourage students in 4th-8th grade to practice use of the Spanish language while embracing Hispanic culture.

Last year, the inaugural competition had 4 participants, and registration for this year's Bee has more than tripled with 15 students registered to compete.

Though the event is titled the "Central Arkansas Spanish Spelling Bee," program organizers welcome students from all over the state to participate. As the city of De Queen has an estimated Hispanic population of more than 60%, MAC members have supported this event in hopes that students from the De Queen area will participate in the future and represent the Southwestern Region of Arkansas.

All funds donated to the Spanish spelling Bee go to the planning of the event, as well as providing funding to send the state winner to the national competition in 2023.

MAC and event organizers would like to express appreciation to all who advocate for the Spanish language across the natural state and support this educational opportunity for Arkansas youth.

The Central Arkansas Spanish Spelling Bee will be held Saturday, October 22nd, 2022, at 9:00 am at Plaza Frida, 4001 West 65th Street, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72209.

"Tasha Teaches Spanish" provides translation services, language education programs, and community partnership opportunities. The company was named as a finalist for the Little Rock Regional Chamber's 2022 Minority Business of The Year award. For more information about the Central Arkansas Spelling Bee or opportunities to learn with LaTasha, visit tashateachesspanish.com or email questions to tashateachesspanish@gmail.com

For more information about MAC, email DQunity@gmail.com

By David Robinson

June 14, 2021 | LITTLE ROCK — UAMS researchers and their community partners across Arkansas are studying the causes behind COVID-19’s devastating impact on minorities and developing plans to help increase vaccination rates.

Supporting the one-year project is a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. UAMS was one of 11 teams selected as part of the national alliance.

Last year, Arkansas was identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a national hot spot for COVID-19 disparities among Marshallese and Hispanic populations. The disparities in percentage of cases, hospitalizations and deaths among these populations were so severe that CDC and NIH officials visited Northwest Arkansas to investigate.

Black/African American and rural communities across the state have been struck hard, too, said Pebbles Fagan, Ph.D., MPH, one of three principal investigators on the study.

https://news.uams.edu/2021/06/14/uams-project-part-of-national-effort-to-reduce-covid-19-in-hardest-hit-populations/

De Queen non-profit donates to Spanish Spelling Bee in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

UAMS Project Part of National Effort to Reduce COVID-19 in Hardest Hit Populations