The UCLA Latin American Institute’s Outreach Program offers professional development programs for K–12 educators on Latin American history, culture, and society.
During the 2026–27 academic year, the Latin American Institute will offer a year-long series exploring Latin America through food. The foods we associate with Latin America have long histories that connect different regions, communities, identities, and traditions. Their histories also tell us about Indigenous knowledge, migration, labor, the environment, and the movement of people and crops across borders.
The series will explore different regions of Latin America through foods that have shaped histories and cultures, from maize in Mesoamerica and sugar in the Caribbean to rice and African foodways in the Americas, bananas in Central America, and Indigenous food traditions in the Andes. The lectures will feature scholars working across these regions and topics. The series will provide educators with a deeper understanding of Latin America and resources for bringing these histories into their classrooms.
Cost: Free and open to the Public
The UCLA Latin American Institute invites K–12 educators to explore the rich histories and cultures of Latin America through food. This virtual lecture series brings together scholars and culinary experts to examine how food connects Indigenous knowledge, cultural heritage, migration, labor, and identity across the region.
Each one-hour presentation will include time for questions and discussion.
Upcoming Presentations
*POSTPONED* November 12, 2026 | 4pm PT: Recovering Our Ancestral Foodways: Indigenous Knowledge, Food Sovereignty, and Living Well
Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano
Syracuse University
December 2, 2026| 4pm PT:
The Story of Maize: Indigenous Science and Foodways in Latin America
Dr. Helen Burgos-Ellis
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
February 2027 | 4pm PT|
Delicious El Salvador: Preserving Culture Through Food and Family Recipes
Alicia Maher
Author of
Delicious El Salvador: 75 Authentic Recipes for Traditional Salvadoran Cooking
March 2, 2027 | 4pm PT: From Field to Table: Food, Labor, and Empire in Latin America and the Caribbean
Professor Robin Derby
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
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Time: 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Location: Online via Zoom
Audience: K–12 educators and the general public
**Organized by the UCLA Latin American Institute**