Where Belonging Takes Root

El Centro Amistad, Boulder County

When a quiet middle schooler first walked into a Raíces Vivas youth circle at El Centro AMISTAD, he did not plan to say much. He had already learned how to stay quiet in new spaces. At school, teachers had begun to see him as difficult. At home, conversations were heavy with legal worries and the kind of stress that settles into a household without anyone naming it. Since the pandemic, he had felt himself pulling further inward. He told himself his parents had enough to carry. There was no need to add his struggles to the pile.

Everything began to shift during a group session centered on kindness and self-reflection. Youth were invited to name positive qualities about themselves and speak openly about experiences like bullying or feeling disconnected. Because the space felt safe, he spoke. Others in the circle nodded. Several began sharing similar feelings.

“That is the medicine of group work,” says Maya Sol Dansie, Director of Youth Programming. “Young people realize they are not alone, and something inside them begins to change.”

A Culturally Rooted Place and Space to Belong

For nearly three decades, El Centro AMISTAD, co-directed by Maya’s parents, Elena Aranda and Jorge De Santiago, have worked alongside Latine families across Boulder County to strengthen wellbeing, identity, and opportunity. The organization offers a range of culturally responsive programs that promote healthy lifestyles, nutrition education, emotional well-being, and family connection. Through youth leadership development, prevention programming, intergenerational gatherings, and access to culturally competent mental health support, El Centro AMISTAD creates pathways for families to thrive together.

“This is ecosystem work,” she says. “When one young person feels at home, the whole community begins to shift.”

The Raíces Vivas Youth Program is a cornerstone of this work. Young people participate in culturally grounded activities that blend artistic expression, storytelling, leadership development, and community dialogue. A partnership with therapists from Mayamotion Healing expands access to culturally responsive care for youth while helping prepare future clinicians to serve diverse communities with greater understanding.

“We are always inviting young people to remember what is right with them,” Maya Sol explains. “Sometimes our communities have been told to forget.”

The organization’s model extends beyond youth. Parents, caregivers, and elders are engaged through programming focused on mental health, healthy living, and future planning. Staff connected this young person’s family with additional support, reinforcing progress at home as well as in the program. Over time, he found belonging, began referring friends, and recently won the program’s art contest, celebrated by peers and relatives alike.

Supporting the Ecosystem

Support from Caring for Colorado has helped El Centro AMISTAD strengthen operations and sustain consistent programming, allowing the organization to respond more holistically to community needs. Maya Sol sees the long-term impact unfolding in quiet but powerful ways.

Visit their website to learn more.

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