OLLAS Community Engagement Activities
Get involved with OLLAS and the community through many activities and events each year.
OLLAS Charla Series
Each year, OLLAS hosts its Charla Lecture Series, inviting speakers from on campus, around the community, across the country and even around the world to comment on critical issues regarding Latinos and Latin America. Charla means "chat" in English.
ArteLatinx Biennial Art Exhibition
A new initiative of OLLAS, launched in August of 2015, Latino/Latin American Artists: Exhibition & Conversations was an exhibition aimed at making visible the presence and work of Latino/Latin American artists in the Omaha metro area. The juried art show, exploring the diverse meanings, themes, history and transnational spaces of Latino art, ideas and creativity, was the starting point for a continuing dialogue about Latinos in art and drew more than 300 people over the course of the two week exhibition.
Cinemateca Biennial Film Series
Every other year, OLLAS partners with Film Streams to curate a Latino/Latin American bilingual film series with special screenings featuring pre-film cuisine and post-film talks. All films are open to the public and take place at the Ruth Sokolof Theater.
End of the Year Celebration
Our End of the Year Celebration is conducted at the end of every Spring Semester. We invite all our fall and spring graduates of that year as well as current students, faculty, staff, and alumni to celebrate their academic accomplishments. During this event, the Spring semester graduates also present the research that they have conducted throughout the semester.They educate those in attendance about their research findings and open their presentations to any questions that the invitees may have.
Cumbre: Latino/Latin American Summit of the Great Plains
OLLAS hosts Cumbre every few years to bring together scholars, community members, and students to provide a forum for discussing critical issues affecting Latinos and Latin America.
Community Forums
OLLAS hosts different forums and workshops in collaboration with community partners. These forums serve a variety of purposes ranging from workshops, open discussions, informational sessions, and educational presentations on issues relevant to today's environment.