In an effort to help promote Hispanic culture and raise money for Nicaraguan and Guatemalan artists, Spanish Honor Society hosted its annual Pulsera Project from Nov 28-Dec 2.

The Pulsera Project is a nonprofit organization that educates, empowers, and connects Central American artists with students in more than 3,000 U.S. schools through the sale of colorful handwoven bracelets, or “pulseras” in Spanish. According to Pulsera Project’s official wesbite, each bracelet takes about one hour to make and comes tagged with the picture and signature of the artist that made them. According to vendors, these designs portray a testament to the genuine creativity of the artists in spite of their repressive socioeconomic status.

“The impact [of the Pulsera Project] is that it helps people and families in need in countries like Nicaragua and Guatemala,” Spanish Honor Society cosponsor and Spanish teacher Laura Jacobson said. “It helps them be self-sufficient with their lives.”

The items were sold outside the cafeteria during lunch periods by members of Spanish Honor Society, with bracelets being priced at seven dollars and bags at 15 dollars. Customers were treated to a plethora of different styles and varieties of intricately handwoven materials during the sale, ranging from leather bracelets to different styles of sewn bags.

“I think one of the main benefits of having the Pulsera Project at Niles North is to create more awareness among the student body as to the issues of social justice affecting many people in Central America,” Spanish Honor Society cosponsor and Spanish teacher Pamela Benitez said. “It also brings a lot of color and happiness to our school and we can all feel united by helping this important cause.”

100 percent of all the proceeds from the sale went to supporting the Central American artists who helped create the handwoven bracelets and bags. This money helps sponsor a number of different causes, including fair trade jobs, housing programs, healthcare funds, support for educational programs, and many more. In order to help further raise awareness of the charitable organization, Spanish Honor Society sponsors have opted to have members of the organization continue to sell bracelets and bags during their classes the following week after the sale to their student peers.

“I hope we will continue with the Pulsera Project at Niles North because of the importance of creating awareness of fair trade,” Benitez said. “We need to be conscientious of the products we, as consumers, are buying. Pulsera Project helps Central American artists by providing a fair wage for their hard work. It also brings a lot of color and happiness to our school and we can all feel united by helping this important cause.”