TAGa embodies the commitment of its Board of Directors, who are all alumni and former staff of the TAG Latino Program of UMass Boston, to ensure that current and future generations of Latino and immigrant youth benefit from the transformative experiences that TAG provided in our lives. Founded in 1985, The TAG Latino Program has been providing culturally and linguistically sustaining programming since its inception. Project ALERTA was founded just a few years later to prepare students in elementary school— starting at grade 3 when students read to learn—to achieve their highest potential and help them access college-preparatory high schools.
TAG Clubs are student-led Latino cultural clubs. TAG Clubs create a vehicle for leadership and belonging in schools serving grades 7 – 12 and an avenue for cultural expression, identity development, organizing and advocacy. These clubs historically have existed in Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and the O’Bryant. TAGa works with the club leaders to support their leadership development and organizing efforts.
Para Ayudar a Nuestros Alumnos a Sobresalir— PANAS — Mentoring program for many years provided a strong mentoring community for Latino students that created enduring relationships. Where other programs struggle to find Latino mentors, PANAS excelled. TAGa is working to bring this back! In 2021, with the support of the City of Boston, we piloted the PANAS Mentoring Fellowship of 2021, which provided a school year job to youth as they explored relevant social issues and participated in career readiness workshops.
The Summer TAG Program for years has provided a strong pipeline of linguistically and culturally diverse educators through its Teaching Assistant Program, wherein TAG high school students and undergraduates work with a mentor teacher, learn the art of teaching and develop their educator identity. We see our TAG TAs across our Boston schools as teachers, administrators, nurses, social workers, and beyond. TAGa is deeply committed to supporting these important initiatives through deep collaboration with the TAG Latino Program house in the Gaston Institute and College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston.
To learn more about the TAG Clubs and PANAS contact us!
Email: hola@tagassociaton.org
Phone: 617-394-8304
The TAG Association produces programming, events and leads endeavors that educate and lift up the Latino voices, equip them with resources and knowledge, and foment critical community connection.
The Hispanic Writers Week (HWW) program celebrates Spanish-language literature and the global Hispanic community. Writing is art, healing, and empowerment, yet many Latino youth feel discouraged from sharing their stories, especially in their native language. This weeklong event connects Spanish speakers and learners, featuring Latino authors as Writers in Residence (WIR). They lead school workshops and join public Community Readings with shared writing, dinner, and meet-and-greets. The event ends with a student ceremony, community celebration, and published anthology. Post-pandemic, HWW fosters healing through writing, art, and community.
TAGa is working to bring this back!
The Boston Desegregation Mobile Museum (BDMM) is a powerful, community-rooted initiative that brings to life Boston’s untold civil rights history—centered on the 1974 school desegregation ruling and the children whose lives it shaped. Housed inside a transformed school bus, the museum will travel across Boston and the state offering immersive micro-exhibits, simulations, and storytelling to educate, heal, and inspire. Co-led by the Talented And Gifted Association and the Boston Desegregation and Busing Initiative, this mobile museum promotes restorative justice and racial reconciliation while filling a critical gap in local history education. The bus was purchased late 2024 and with your support it will become a classroom on wheels—driving truth, equity, and connection into the heart of our communities.
TAGa partners with local organizations to host community forums and trainings that inform, uplift, and connect Boston residents with a focus on the Latino community. From hands-on emergency preparedness to historical reflection and civic dialogue, these events create culturally affirming spaces for learning and action. Highlights include CPR Para la Comunidad, offering free bilingual CPR and Stop the Bleed training with Boston EMS and LA SALA Boston, and Disrupting the Narrative, a sold-out forum on Latino experiences during desegregation. Together, these gatherings foster intergenerational connection, shared knowledge, and empowered leadership rooted in equity and justice.
Affirmed with the knowledge that a community is strengthened when it remains culturally and linguistically intact, the TAG
Association is deeply committed to producing cultural and artistic events to this end.
El Jolgorio Navideño has provided Boston with a space to celebrate culture, lift up our Latino leaders and raise support for our community since 1989. Founded by a group of Puerto Rican leaders, El Jolgorio has become the largest, longest-standing and one of the most anticipated Latino Holiday celebrations in New England. The event is a cross Latin American cultural celebration, showcasing local and international artists, such as Puerto Rican Cultural Historian and Artist, Jorge Arce and Latin Jazz legend Eddie Palmieri. The TAG Association has been producing this event since 2014 with a commitment to maintain this important cultural institution for the Latino community. The event includes an award ceremony with three honoree categories: Lucia Mayerson-David Lifetime Achievement, Community Champion, and TAG Alumni of the Year.
Join us at this year’s Jolgorio!
TAGa produces culturally sustaining and affirming events that cultivate community building and connections between alumni, youth, and community members through networking opportunities, shared experiences, and collaborative projects. These events may include social gatherings such as our “TAG Family Reunions”, service projects such as our career exploration day at Summer TAG, and cultural-rooted events, like our Día de los Muertos Cafecitos, all designed to foster meaningful relationships and professional growth while celebrating and preserving Latino culture. Through cultural showcases, storytelling, and traditions, these gatherings create a space for students and alumni to embrace their heritage and strengthen their shared identity.
We envision a Boston where all institutions—especially public schools and colleges—embrace the communities they serve, and residents share and celebrate the beauty of their cultures. We look forward to bringing this vision to life with your partnership and support.
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