Conexión Comunidad, 637 N. 11th St., is a DeKalb-based organization that aims to educate the Latino community and promote cultural awareness through art and dance.

According to Kristina Garcia, board president of Conexión Comunidad, the organization provides ways for children to represent their heritage through art. There is a dance program called Ballet Folklorico and a music program called Mariachi Moderno.

“For the dance program, we use the different costumes from Mexico and the kids are able to demonstrate different forms of dance with their costumes,” Garcia said. “In the mariachi program, we use students who are already in music to introduce the younger students to music so they can enroll in their school’s program.”

Garcia said Sycamore students can enroll in their school’s music program in fourth grade, so the program is directed toward students in third grade. Garcia hopes this will help students become familiar with the music program and get their parents more involved and aware of the resources available within the school. Garcia said this program benefits the older students who volunteer and the younger students who enroll.

“I think it allows the older students to develop some leadership while they’re being role models for younger students,” she said. “I feel sometimes like younger students look up more to older students as opposed to an adult. Our vision is to see that one day our participants walk away feeling like they’ve become a leader or more aware of their community.”

Garcia said the students in Conexión’s dance and music programs participate in an annual fiesta event in downtown DeKalb. The event originally began as a fundraiser at the community center and was moved downtown in order to accommodate for more people. Garcia said the fiesta features performances and a number of different booths from local businesses. Participants in the Ballet Folklorico and the Mariachi Moderno perform, as well as other local acts.

Along with using different forms of art to promote cultural awareness, Conexión Comunidad sometimes works with other organizations. Emily Prieto, director of NIU’s Latino Resource Center, said the Center works to provide volunteers for Conexión Comunidad.

“When they have events and activities we have tried to support them because a lot of the students here are familiar with Conexión so they’ll volunteer,” Prieto said. “I think it’s important that students in college, and the rest of their lives, focus on giving back to the community, so I think it’s important for our students to be involved there.”

Prieto hopes younger students will be inspired by seeing successful Latino college students and become more aware of their culture.

“It’s good for there to be a space in the DeKalb community that is reflective of culture and raises visibility of Latinos in the community,” she said. “A space in which the Latino identity can thrive is really a positive thing. It’s good when students can see a culture that resonates with them and with their family.”

Another way NIU works with Conexión Comunidad is through DREAM Action NIU, which helps undocumented members of the community apply for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA helps to give some undocumented immigrants a two-year deferral of the deportation process. Adam Lopez, student director of the Latino Student Alliance, was one of the student volunteers who attended a DREAM Action NIU event Saturday at Conexión Comunidad.

“DREAM Action helps to alleviate the fear that a lot of undocumented students face,” Lopez said. “Fears like driving and doing all of those kinds of things.”

Ivonne Uquillas, co-coordinator of DREAM Action NIU, said DREAM Action strives to serve as an important resource and is grateful for Conexión Comunidad’s assistance.

“The service is important because the undocumented community needs resources and if some people who attend the university can provide those resources, then it’s our responsibility to help our community,” she said. “If we can make those relationships with other community organizations like Conexión Comunidad, then we’re going to be committed to establishing those connections. They’ve provided a space for DREAM Action to help applicants apply for DACA. It has brought the university closer to a community center and we’re all happy that they were able to provide us with help and their support.”