Getting K-12 students excited to learn about other cultures through engaging activities is just one of the reasons Leila Vieira, assistant director of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), is a recipient of Ohio State’s 2025 Community Engaged Practitioner Awards.
The Office of Outreach and Engagement today announced the recipients of the University Community Engagement Awards, which honor faculty, staff and students for outstanding achievement in producing engaged scholarship and community impact. Awards were given in the following categories: Community Engaged Scholar, Community Engaged Practitioner and Community Engaged Graduate Student.
As part of Vieira's award, she will receive a $1,000 cash contribution to support community engagement efforts, and all award recipients will be recognized at a luncheon on Wednesday April 30.
In the last three years, Vieira has created and developed two impactful projects and initiatives: the Brutus Calavera Coloring Contest and the Capoeira in the Classroom workshop series. Both are now well-established projects targeted to youth, who can participate in these activities using their imagination and creativity. The programs engage communities, encourage understanding of new and different perspectives and welcome an appreciation of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
“I feel very honored to be able to do these projects and activities and engage with the community. It’s very rewarding to see the impact it has on our youth,” Vieira said. “We’re lucky Ohio State sees the value of outreach and engagement and the impact our work can have on so many different populations.”
The Brutus Calavera Coloring Contest has participants color an image in which half of Brutus’ face is depicted using Day of the Dead imagery. The contest has reached about 950 participants, and several K-12 teachers use it as part of their curriculum to teach students about the celebration and Latin American culture.
“The importance of this contest is two-fold: for those of Latinx heritage, they can see their culture celebrated by Ohio State as an institution; for non-Latinx participants, it gives them a chance to learn about this celebration and to hopefully reflect on similarities on how different cultures celebrate their dead,” Vieira explained.
Vieira, in collaboration with Julio Beltrán, CLAS' outreach coordinator, created the Capoeira in the Classroom workshop series. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines movement, martial arts, music, singing and acrobatics. In this hands-on workshop series Vieira and Beltrán have visited more than10 K-12 schools and have taught 300 students about the various components of capoeira. Additionally, each student also received a booklet that includes a brief explanation of capoeira, lyrics for songs, images of the movements, and coloring and matching activities for smaller children.
Vieira’s work with these two community-focused outreach projects demonstrates significant range and impact, reaching over 1,200 students in K-12 in the past three years.