As part of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we highlight Intercambio, a language exchange program led entirely by high school students from the SOMOS (Students Organizing a Multicultural and Open Society) club at Baltimore City College (City College).
Once a week, the group convenes in a gym filled with the smell of good food and the sound of lively conversation. This is Intercambio.
Started over eight years ago, Intercambio offers an opportunity for Spanish-speaking families to learn English—but it’s about much more than language. The focus is on building confidence in communicating with schools and teachers. Parents practice skills like logging into Campus Portal, the online platform that provides access to grades, attendance, and schedules. “So it's not just language, it's also the communication tools for school,” said Ana Maderos, ESOL paraeducator at Baltimore City College. “We make sure that whatever parents are learning, it's something that they're going to use.”
Classes are also for parents and teachers who want to learn Spanish. “We're just bringing the community together. We're trying to bridge the language barrier that we observed,” said Tylea Booker, a junior at City College and one of the members of SOMOS.
This year, the classes have moved due to renovations at City College. “At first we were a little lost but now we have this great space..., and I feel like we've also opened the program to them so we can help their parents,” explained Sarai Arias-Contreras, one of the student leaders of SOMOS. “In middle school you're sent papers home like all that there's a lot of communication.” But in high school, she added, parents may receive less direct communication as students become more independent.
“I also relate [to} this as my mom doesn't know much English, so I will also go take papers to her and teach her since she can't make it to classes. But yeah, she's learning, too,” Arias-Contreras explained. “I’m learning the language can open more conversation.” She’s most excited that with Intercambio’s classes, parents are more able to support their children. “They can help their child, which is the most important thing to me.”
For Yarelis, mother of a freshman at City College, participating in the language learning program has been an opportunity she’s been waiting for since arriving in the United States. “Since I arrived, I haven’t been able to take any English classes,” she shared. “I brought a very basic level of English from my country, and communication here has been very difficult. I loved this opportunity, and that’s why I decided to come.” Yarelis hopes to strengthen her speaking and listening skills and gain more confidence in communicating. “Reading and writing are easier for me, but oral communication is very difficult,” she explained.
And Intercambio is working. In a survey conducted by SOMOS in a previous school year, participants shared that before the program, only 63% of parents felt welcomed at school events. By the end of the year, that number had risen to 91%. Likewise, 81% of parents said they now feel confident communicating with the school, compared to just 28%.
The classes are entirely student-led with support from their advisor, Franca Muller-Paz, who has been with SOMOS since it started and Maderos. Students design the curriculum, teach the lessons, and even provide childcare. “We also have a Child Care Supervisor, who is CPR trained in case of an emergency,” explained Arias-Contreras. In the first session of this school year, she served as the Overall Director for Intercambio. “(The Overall Director) is just someone who's running up and down, knows the whole program, and is just checking in with everybody. So that person is also someone who should know everything that's going on within the curriculum.”
Yarelis also appreciates that students are leading the sessions. “It gave me a really good feeling that students are the ones leading the program… I feel more comfortable that way.” As the mother of a City College student, she values being part of her daughter’s school community. “I like being in the place where my daughter studies, seeing how things work, and participating.”
“The classes showed me how well people can work together to kind of just fix problems that they see,” said Booker. She has plans to become a surgeon after high school and wants medical advocacy to be part of her career path. SOMOS also has an advocacy team that works in Annapolis and Washington, D.C. “I feel like this, having advocacy experience like this under my belt has been really helpful.”
For Gail Godwin, returning to the SOMOS program for a second year felt like coming home to a community that inspires learning and connection. “Our daughter graduated last year from City and was involved in the program,” she shared. “We thought that we learned in a unique way—really being able to sit with people who don’t speak English or Spanish and work through the conversation was enlightening for us.” Gail and her husband enjoy the mix of activities, from reading comprehension to fun “speed dating” conversations that help participants practice both languages. “We love to cook, and sharing meals as part of the class makes it even more special,” she said with a smile. What keeps her coming back is more than just learning Spanish—it’s the sense of belonging. “It’s probably the community,” she reflected. “It gives a good jumpstart and helps you build a routine. There’s more to it than just learning the language.” 
Maderos agreed about the community aspect. “It's very, very beautiful because at the end of the sessions, we just create a big community.”
Over 70 students are part of Intercambio. “We had over 40 kids signed up in a weekend,” Maderos said. They were trained in various roles, including serving as a one-on-one tutor. “We also always make sure we give them a lot of tips. So, you know, know that everybody's on a different level, know that sometimes you might get corrected in your own language, which happens a lot.” Maderos loves that students often become more confident as they take on these leadership roles. “We hope to continue to offer this for the next couple of years.”
Intercambio is open to all. If you’re interested in attending, please email: IntercambioSOMOS@gmail.com.
Created by City Schools with assistance from AI.