As you know, educational opportunities are most impactful when they are relevant, welcoming, and connected to the interests and everyday experiences of the communities they serve.
Guided by this belief, University of Missouri Extension Horticultural Specialist Dr. Juan Cabrera collaborated with Alianzas to support outreach efforts through a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grant titled Strengthening Missouri IPM Resources to Reach Diverse Clientele with Sustainable Pest Management. The grant was designed to expand access to education on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that combines practical strategies to prevent and control pests while minimizing risks to people, beneficial insects and the environment – among historically underserved communities across Missouri.
As a trusted partner in previous collaborations, Dr. Cabrera invited Alianzas to assist in reaching Latinos for a third IPM workshop on May 30, 2026.
The collaboration began last year with similar workshops. Through participant feedback and observation, the team learned an important lesson: while Integrated Pest Management is a valuable topic, the term and topic itself did not resonate with Hispanic community members. Gardening, however, is deeply rooted in many Latino cultures, where growing fruits, vegetables and herbs at home is often connected to family traditions, food security, self-sufficiency and cultural heritage.
With this insight, the team reframed future workshops around a topic that felt more immediately relevant to participants: growing healthy home gardens while learning how to identify, prevent and manage common garden pests. By connecting IPM concepts to participants’ interests and lived experiences, the workshops became more accessible and engaging.
In collaboration with community partner Kansas City Community Gardens, members of the Sedalia area – a community with a significant Latino population – came together for the “Grow your own garden while identifying and irradicating different pests” workshop. Newly onboarded Alianzas Ambassador Martha Paez of Pettis County helped with the outreach and logistics, and coordinated the location and food for the event with local businesses.
During the workshop, participants learned about:
- Factors that affect the development of pests and diseases
- The difference between chewing and piercing-sucking insects
- Developmental stages of insects
- Types of diseases, the importance of diagnosis and the difference between symptoms and signs
- Strategies in integrated pest and disease management
One of the most meaningful aspects of the workshop was the opportunity for participants to learn directly in Spanish. Dr. Cabrera delivered the educational content in participants’ native language, creating a welcoming environment where attendees felt comfortable asking questions, sharing experiences and engaging in discussion.
To encourage participants to apply what they learned at home, attendees received tomato and pepper plants to start or expand their own gardens. This hands-on component helped reinforce workshop concepts while providing a tangible connection between the educational content and participants’ daily lives.
Many participants commented on how much they learned and expressed interest in attending future workshops!
The success of these workshops demonstrates the value of combining university expertise with trusted community partnerships. By listening to community feedback and adapting programming to reflect participants’ interests and cultural experiences, Alianzas and Dr. Cabrera are showing that expanding access to educational opportunities are both meaningful and impactful.
Would you like to bring this kind of workshop into your community? Reach out to Alianzas for more details!
Contact Alianzas to get connected with community events or engagement opportunities in your region, or to request a language translation service or culturally responsive training for you or your team.
