Educational Sessions
To help the SCU community connect with the rich history and beautiful traditions of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a series of free educational sessions will be taking place throughout the month of October leading to the 4th Camino de los Muertos on Sunday, November 1st.
These sessions are open to the community and are designed to provide a deeper understanding of the meanings behind the celebration, including the significance of the ofrenda (altar), calaveras (skulls), catrinas (dapper lady skull), cempasúchil (marigolds) and more.
Schedule
| DATE | TIME | LOCATION | FOCUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 8, 2026 | 3:00pm - 4:00pm | de Saisset Museum | The Art of the Catrina - presentation by Jesus Flores and Stephanie Flores Aguilar from the Latino Business Foundation of Silicon Valley |
|
Oct. 16, 2026 |
3:00pm - 5:00pm |
Nobili Dining Room |
Day of the Dead & the Power of Memory - presentation by Ana Maria Pineda, Associate Professor, Religious Studies (SCU) |
|
Oct. 20, 2026 |
3:00pm - 4:30pm |
Nobili Dining Room |
Dia de los Muertos Traditions and its connections with other Global/Spiritual traditions - facilitated by Ray Plaza, Senior Director, Office for Campus Climate and Belonging |
|
Oct. 23, 2026 |
10:30am -1:00pm |
Shapell Lounge |
Sugar Skull Making (in preparation for Camino de los Muertos) - in partnership with Unidas Somos Mas Fuertes community group |
|
Oct. 27, 2026 |
3:00pm - 4:30pm |
Nobili Dining Room |
Reclaiming the Sacred: Place, Memory, and Resistance in Altar Making by Roberto Mata, Associate Professor and Director of the Latin American Studies Program |
Resources
- Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Grief Support Activities
- Metropolitan Museum of Art - Exploring Day of the Dead Traditions
- Mexic-Arte Museum (Austin, TX) - Dia los Muertos Activity Guide
- Modern and Contemporary Latin American and Latino Art (MOLAA) - Dia de los Muertos
- National Geographic - What is Day of the Dead?
- National Museum of the American Latino - Day of the Dead
- The Ohio State University - Teaching Resources - Dia de los Muertos
- PBS Learning Media - Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos
- Smithsonian Learning Lab - Day of the Dead Learning Kit