Our Mission
The LUPEC Mariachi Program provides a safe, welcoming, and culturally affirming after-school environment where Hispanic/Latino youth can discover their voice, celebrate their cultural heritage, build meaningful relationships with young people from many cultures, and experience the joy and pride of making mariachi music.
We believe every young person deserves to feel that they belong, that their culture matters, that their voice has value, and that they have a place in our community.
Through mariachi, we help students develop confidence, discipline, teamwork, creativity, cultural pride, and a sense of belonging while providing a safe place for them to learn and grow when their parents are working.
We believe every young person deserves to feel that they belong, that their culture matters, that their voice has value, and that they have a place in our community.
Through mariachi, we help students develop confidence, discipline, teamwork, creativity, cultural pride, and a sense of belonging while providing a safe place for them to learn and grow when their parents are working.
Our Vision
We envision a community where Hispanic/Latino youth do not have to choose between their cultural identity and belonging in the larger society.
Instead, they can stand proudly in both worlds—knowing where they come from, understanding the value of their heritage, respecting the cultures of others, and using their own voices to contribute to the community.
We want to hear mariachi music from their hearts—music that reflects not only what they have learned to play, but who they are becoming.
Instead, they can stand proudly in both worlds—knowing where they come from, understanding the value of their heritage, respecting the cultures of others, and using their own voices to contribute to the community.
We want to hear mariachi music from their hearts—music that reflects not only what they have learned to play, but who they are becoming.
Our Purpose
The LUPEC Mariachi Program exists to:
- Create Belonging: Help young people feel accepted, valued, and connected to others.
- Affirm Culture: Provide Hispanic/Latino youth with meaningful opportunities to learn, experience, and celebrate their cultural heritage.
- Develop Voice: Help youth discover that their experiences, ideas, stories, and voices matter.
- Build Confidence: Give students opportunities to perform, lead, take risks, overcome challenges, and experience success.
- Build Bridges: Bring young people from different cultural backgrounds together through music, friendship, and shared experiences.
- Provide Safety: Offer a caring, structured, and positive place for students to be after school while their parents are working.
- Develop Musicianship: Teach students the skills, discipline, commitment, and teamwork necessary to become mariachi musicians.
- Inspire Joy: Create an environment where students experience the happiness and emotional power of making music together.
Our Goals
The program will use enrollment, attendance, participation, student/family feedback, musical progress, performance participation, and other appropriate program data to monitor progress toward these goals.
Goal 1 – Belonging
Students will report an increased sense of belonging, acceptance, and connection to the mariachi program and their peers.
Goal 2 – Cultural Pride
Students will demonstrate increased knowledge of and appreciation for Hispanic/Latino cultural traditions, history, music, and heritage.
Goal 3 – Youth Voice and Confidence
Students will demonstrate increased confidence in expressing themselves, performing, communicating, and participating in group activities.
Goal 4 – Cross-Cultural Relationships
Students will have meaningful opportunities to interact respectfully with peers from different cultural backgrounds and develop an appreciation for cultural differences and similarities.
Goal 5 – Safe After-School Environment
Students will have access to a consistent, supervised, caring, and positive environment during after-school hours.
Goal 6 – Musical Growth
Students will demonstrate measurable growth in their ability to play a mariachi instrument, understand mariachi music, perform as part of an ensemble, and contribute to the musical group.
Goal 7 – Family and Community Engagement
Families and community members will have opportunities to participate in performances, celebrations, cultural activities, and other experiences that strengthen connections between youth, families, and the community.
Goal 1 – Belonging
Students will report an increased sense of belonging, acceptance, and connection to the mariachi program and their peers.
Goal 2 – Cultural Pride
Students will demonstrate increased knowledge of and appreciation for Hispanic/Latino cultural traditions, history, music, and heritage.
Goal 3 – Youth Voice and Confidence
Students will demonstrate increased confidence in expressing themselves, performing, communicating, and participating in group activities.
Goal 4 – Cross-Cultural Relationships
Students will have meaningful opportunities to interact respectfully with peers from different cultural backgrounds and develop an appreciation for cultural differences and similarities.
Goal 5 – Safe After-School Environment
Students will have access to a consistent, supervised, caring, and positive environment during after-school hours.
Goal 6 – Musical Growth
Students will demonstrate measurable growth in their ability to play a mariachi instrument, understand mariachi music, perform as part of an ensemble, and contribute to the musical group.
Goal 7 – Family and Community Engagement
Families and community members will have opportunities to participate in performances, celebrations, cultural activities, and other experiences that strengthen connections between youth, families, and the community.
What We Believe
At LUPEC, we believe that culture is not a barrier to overcome—it is a source of strength.
We believe that music can give a young person a voice when words are difficult.
We believe that a child who feels that they belong is more willing to learn, participate, take risks, and believe in themselves.
We believe that Hispanic/Latino youth should be able to look at their heritage with pride while also developing the confidence to participate fully in the broader community.
And we believe that when a young person picks up a mariachi instrument, something more important than music can begin to happen:
They begin to discover their voice.
They begin to discover their culture.
They begin to discover their place.
And they begin to discover that their voice matters.
MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY HAVE NO TIME AND NO NEED FOR NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS LIKE GANGS, DRUGS, AND VIOLENCE!
We believe that music can give a young person a voice when words are difficult.
We believe that a child who feels that they belong is more willing to learn, participate, take risks, and believe in themselves.
We believe that Hispanic/Latino youth should be able to look at their heritage with pride while also developing the confidence to participate fully in the broader community.
And we believe that when a young person picks up a mariachi instrument, something more important than music can begin to happen:
They begin to discover their voice.
They begin to discover their culture.
They begin to discover their place.
And they begin to discover that their voice matters.
MOST IMPORTANTLY THEY HAVE NO TIME AND NO NEED FOR NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS LIKE GANGS, DRUGS, AND VIOLENCE!