“I think this area is a center of so many different groups of from different backgrounds, but there is so much peace in this area, and I think that’s beautiful,” says Rebecca Renteria, a former participant of Linking Hispanic Heritage Through Archaeology (LHHTA). LHHTA is a program that links Hispanic youth to their heritage with south-western archaeology as a platform.  LHHTA gives students and teachers the chance to experience first hand archaeology in university laboratories and locations such as the Grand Canyon.

The program is a partnership between the University of Arizona and the Environmental Education Exchange. Participants of this program get to travel to archaeological sites around Southern Arizona, visit museums around Tucson, and will receive an iPad and learn how to use it as a tool for recording events. All travel expenses are covered for participants along with admissions to museums, meals during over-night trips, and an Apple iPad with a sturdy case. This program serves as a great way to pursue  a student’s interests in archaeology. Renteria herself is a graduate student of applied archaeology at the University of Arizona, and is also a research assistant on the LHHTA staff.  In order to participate you must be currently enrolled in a high school, and you will need to submit an application with two recommendation forms by February 6. So don’t hesitate! You will also get to network with U of A archaeologists, all the while gaining the experience of a life time. “Just go for it. We’ve had students who in the beginning are very shy, but towards the end they seem to really bring the group together,” says Renteria. 

For more information and to apply go here

http://lhhta.weebly.com/