Harper Creek Cultural Project Receives $17,563 for 2027 Event

Harper Creek Community Schools has secured $17,563.27 in grant support for its fourth annual Cultural Awareness Project.

The funding will help bring an interactive Spanish-language cultural experience to about 1,900 students and educators in Battle Creek on March 19th, 2027.

The event will feature the Justo Lamas Group with Argentine singer Emanuel during the group’s Raíces Tour at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.

Established in 1998, the Justo Lamas Group has introduced students across the United States to Spanish-language music and Hispanic cultures through interactive educational performances.

Organizers describe the program as more than a concert because students begin learning the songs, lyrics and cultural material in their classrooms before arriving at the auditorium.

That preparation allows students to recognize vocabulary, sing along and use Spanish in a shared experience with learners from other classrooms, grade levels and school districts.

Three community funding awards approved between October 21st and November 6th, 2026, brought the project’s current grant total to $17,563.27.

The Miller Foundation awarded a $9,404.79 BCreative Arts Grant to support the professional cultural performance.

The Harper Creek Educational Foundation added a $2,158.48 B. Forward Grant.

Six Calhoun Intermediate School District mini-grants from the Guido A. and Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation provide up to $6,000 for student transportation.

Harper Creek educators Lesa Kenney, Vanessa Woods, Hellen Tejada, Chelsea Beam, Lori Halder and Elliot Brinker collaborated on the successful transportation-grant applications.

The transportation funding is especially practical because it helps remove a barrier that could otherwise keep students from participating.

The district said additional support is still needed to cover remaining project expenses, so the current awards represent major progress rather than the full budget.

The Cultural Awareness Project is designed to show students that Spanish is a living language connecting people, music, traditions and communities beyond a single classroom.

Project coordinator and elementary Spanish teacher Lesa Kenney said the goal is to help students recognize that they belong to a larger language-learning community.

The program also aims to build confidence, encourage curiosity and make continued language study feel personally meaningful.

Bringing multiple schools together gives participants a chance to see that many other young people are learning the same language and preparing for the same cultural experience.

The upcoming program continues four years of growth.

The third annual event in March 2026 featured the Hispanic Flamenco Ballet and drew about 1,800 students and educators to W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.

The 2027 attendance estimate is about 100 people higher, reflecting the project’s expanding regional reach.

Families and educators can review the project’s history, educational impact, funding partnerships and preparations for the Raíces Tour through Harper Creek’s digital Cultural Awareness Project portfolio.

When is Harper Creek’s 2027 Cultural Awareness Project event?

The Spanish-language cultural program is scheduled for March 19th, 2027, at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium in Battle Creek.

How much grant support has the Harper Creek project received?

Three awards approved between October 21st and November 6th, 2026, total $17,563.27.

Who is expected to perform at the Battle Creek event?

The Justo Lamas Group featuring Argentine singer Emanuel will present its Raíces Tour program.