By Randy Savoie

New Orleans Job Corps Center partnered with La Puentes & LatiNola of Tulane University to present a Multicultural Awareness Festival on Friday afternoon.

Puentes/LatiNola is a community development organization whose mission is “to build assets and create access for the Latino community of the Greater New Orleans area. The purpose of the group is to encourage area students to reflect on the impact the Latino community has had on New Orleans as well as the United States.

New Orleans Job Corps trainees listened to Latino music, learned Spanish dances and sampled ethnic food.

“It was so fun today. We had a great time,” said CPP trainee David Adams. “I learned so many dances-  Salsa, rumba, the merengue. It was an awesome experience.”

Culinary Arts trainee Ashley Davenport prepared a soup called Caldo Verde.

“It’s a potato soup with sausage, onions and kale,” said Ashley. ’The food we made here is from Brazil and it’s highly nutritious. Everybody is loving the Cajun sausage and the kale in the soup. It’s a pretty good appetizer.”

Tulane Student Bonnibl Rosario, a native of the Dominican Republic, said the New Orleans Job trainees were fast learners of the Latin dances.

“They picked up the dance moves quickly. They have a lot of rhytm. So, it was easy to teach them,” said Bonnibl.