Colorful Crafts on Sale at WT Bring Awareness, Funds to Central American Artisans

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University students are collaborating with Central American artists in a colorful pursuit.

The WT Hispanic Student Association and F1RSTGEN, the student-led support organization for first-generation WT students, are selling handmade bracelets, bags and headbands in partnership with the Pulsera Project.

The project is a non-profit organization that collaborates with artisans from Nicaragua and Guatemala to raise funds for education, fair trade, social enterprise, healthcare and more. All funds collected on campus goes back to the artisans.

WT students will sell the crafts outside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 21. Pulseras (Spanish for “colorful bracelets”) are $5 each, bags are $10 and headbands are $15.

“F1RSTGEN brought this idea to WT for the first time last year, and I’m really pleased that the Hispanic Student Association wanted to partner with us to further the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said F1RSTGEN co-adviser Jonathan Cordova. “Pulsera Project volunteers have raised more than $5 million in about 10 years to create jobs and empower Central American communities, and I’m glad we can do our part to help out.”

HSA member Yasmin Dominguez echoed that sentiment.

“This is a great way to celebrate the talented artists who work for Pulsera and Hispanic heritage in general,” Dominguez said. “Most people automatically associate ‘Hispanic’ solely with Mexico, so with this project, we can shine a light on other countries that are part of the Latinx community. Our organization is really excited to take part, and it’s so great to see the enthusiasm from the WT community when they stop by our booth and see the colorful art.”

The Pulsera Project began in 2009 when a group of American travelers met a community of artists in the foothills of Nicaragua. The project helps artists make good wages and support themselves while offering the chance for cultural education for U.S. students.

“We brighten U.S. schools with art and compelling cultural education while employing nearly 200 artists and investing proceeds to create lasting change in Central American communities,” according to the Pulsera website.

Such diversity and inclusion initiatives are key tenets of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About The Pulsera Project

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. The Pulsera Project employs nearly 200 artists in Nicaragua and Guatemala with well-paying fair-trade jobs, providing positive and uplifting work in countries with high unemployment and frequently tough working conditions.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 38 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—