Dr. Curtis Acosta
Assistant Professor, Teaching, Learning & Sociocultural Studies
Co-Director of Humanizing & Culturally Affirming Teacher (HCAT) Program
Who do you draw inspiration from and why?
Young people continue to inspire me. As a former high school teacher, I was privileged to work with some amazing students in the Mexican American/Raza Studies program at Tucson High. Those events have left an indelible mark on my life’s work and the importance of public education to transform the lives of youth and their families. It also informs my work in the Humanizing and Culturally Affirming Teacher (HCAT) program here in the College of Education.
What are one or two accomplishments of which you are most proud?
First and foremost, I’m proud of my family. I have a truly remarkable partner, Patricia Acosta, who also works here at the College of Education, and we have two wonderful sons. Our oldest is finishing his last year here at the UA and our youngest is a sophomore in high school.
The other accomplishment would be my 30 years as an educator, and my work in helping grow the K-12 Ethnic Studies movement during that time. This included my participation in a landmark court case that protected the right for students to experience content reflective of their heritage, community, and culture.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Stay true to the values of the Maya principle of In Lak’ech, which translated into English is akin to “you are my other me.” Work every day to honor the seven generations that came before you and for the seven generations to come.
What is something you are working on currently that you’re excited about?
I have been working on something really important to me, but I don’t want to jinx it. ☺️
Another project that I am excited about is for our HCAT program to provide more professional learning opportunities and service to K-12 teachers in our schools, as well as our alumni and current students in other teacher education programs at the UA.
We debuted this work over the summer with our HCAT Summer Institute, and we are looking forward to offering some more stand-alone opportunities throughout the school year for teachers to enjoy. Stay tuned!