Habla Arte is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underprivileged youth by bridging the inequity of the language barrier gap through a bilingual Spanish visual arts and public-speaking class. In a world where bilingual education is deprioritized and ESL (English Second Language) students are viewing themselves as unconsciously inferior, Habla Arte’s goal is to combat this cultural erasure by immersing ESL and Dual Language Learner students in a comfortable environment where they can thrive. Using the arts as a medium, we aim to teach the craft of visual arts and public speaking, through character creation and storytelling through weekly classes and summer camps in at-risk schools and afterschool clubs in the Santa Ana community and continue to expand our outreach through the Dragon Kim mentorship and our school club program.
We live in language. Regardless of the words themselves, the language we speak, the one written in our textbooks or scribbled on the classroom whiteboards, tells its own story of what’s accepted, appropriate, and valued.
Attending school in a 96% Hispanic community of Santa Ana, Sailee joined a theater troupe that spread music and acting within the community. Walking through the multitude of Title 1 schools with clothing donations, medical aid, and an afternoon program designed to aid working parents, she realized that many schools only had enrichment programs and even school curricula itself offered in English, failing to represent the demographic of the city.
Watching how the lack of Spanish language and culture undermined English Second Language (ESL) learners’ self confidence and cultural appreciation of the Latino community, she was determined to bridge the linguistic gap. A ESL and Dual Language Learner community of 4.9 million in the United States, comprising nearly 10%+ of public school students nationwide, Sailee was determined to create new curricula and an environment that celebrated bilingual education. With bilingual and dual-language immersion programs shown to increase English proficiency by three fold, enhance reading achievement, increase reclassification rates, and improve college readiness all in comparison to students who don’t attend immersion programs, she wanted to foster a belief system where the Spanish language and culture are part of what it means to be American.
Speak Art is a free, bilingual educational app designed to provide equitable access to arts education for underserved students in grades 3 through high school. It offers a structured curriculum in visual arts, creative writing, and public speaking through themed modules taught with original instructional videos in both English and Spanish. Students complete creative assignments and receive personalized feedback from trained volunteer mentors, allowing them to revise and grow through guided, relationship-based learning. After completing the program, students can generate a digital portfolio, participate in art and writing contests, or continue working with their mentor on independent projects. By combining mentorship, bilingual instruction, and portfolio-building, Speak Art breaks down barriers to arts access and helps close persistent educational gaps.
Hi my name is Sailee Charlu! I am a visual artist and a high schooler at the Orange County School of the Arts studying in the conservatories of creative writing and visual arts. I have a deep interest in socio-cultural divides and educational equality, and how it impacts my own community in Santa Ana. As a result, I have learned to express my experience through my art pieces for the last five years. As a National Scholastic Art and Writing Gold Medalist and American Visions Award Winner, I have a deeply-vested interest in communication, using my own bilingualism as a vessel to share my artistic love with the youth.
Curiosity and Me is a children’s book written and illustrated by Sailee. It has been translated in both Spanish and English, serving as an extension of the work we do in Habla Arte. It is a reflection of Sailee’s experience with her own language barrier and struggles within an immigrant family. All sales proceeds fund Habla Arte, and the work the program does to support hundreds of youth.
Ten-year-old Jaya dreads going to her Patti’s house every week. Maybe it’s because Patti is grouchy. Maybe it’s because Patti never talks. Maybe it’s because Jaya doesn’t know what to say. But with the help of her friend, Curiosity – a small, bubbly creature that allows Jaya to appreciate her life and ask questions – Jaya overcomes her fears. Jaya begins to connect with her Patti as she turns silence and loneliness into curiosity and love. Charmingly told with lively illustrations, this bilingual children’s book echoes the narratives of many children and their grandparents, inspiring them to ask questions and leap into the world of stories. Jaya’s experience helps guide readers as they navigate the cultural and generational gaps children sometimes face with older members of their family.
September, 2022 – current
Habla Arte has hosted a series of week-long summer camps every summer for the last 4 years. During the week, students are first introduced to basic drawing skills and public speaking tools. We then dive into a 4 day art project that allows them to explore their creative ambitions, while preparing a culminating speech at the week’s end.
September, 2022 – current
Year-Long teaching program-
For the last 4 years, Habla Arte has partnered with Santa Ana Title 1 School El Sol Science and Arts Academy to bring bilingual education to students every week throughout the school year through visual arts and public speaking, emphasizing creativity, confidence, and collaboration.
October 18, 2023
In the spirit of Halloween, Habla Arte held a workshop at MIX Academy, where elementary students learned how to draw a spooky scene, filled with ghosts, pumpkins and a full moon. They worked on specific speaking skills such as projection, body posture and eye contact, employing those tools as they presented their artworks in front of their peers.
For 3rd-6th graders, students at MIX Academy delved into the world of fantasy and imagination. After a visual arts instruction in basic human body proportions, students created a unique character using their own creativity. After their character creation, students harnessed the art of storytelling, learning the five-story arc and incorporating emotions as they created their own narration in front of an audience.
July 15-19, 2024
We facilitated a week long summer camp, not only teaching students the basics of drawing and shadings, but also equipping them with public speaking skills in order to express the meaning behind their art. Students delved into their own experiences with their Hispanic heritage and the struggles they witness in the community around them.
July, 2024 – current
We facilitated a week long summer workshop, assisting with their drawings of nature or landscapes while engaging in culturally sensitive social discussions. This session served to uplift their mental health, providing them an artistic outlet to be creative and express themselves.
Instructor at EL Sol Academy
“I really like that you guys speak to them in Spanish and English because…it builds confidence.”
Instructor at KidWorks
“The one thing I really like is that the students are able to express themselves…Habla Arte helped them improve their confidence because at the beginning of the school year they were a little bit more shy and scared to show their different artworks and that their art looks different from the student next to them. And now they’re able to see that everyone draws differently.”
Expanded learning supervisor at El Sol Academy
“Habla Arte [has] provided art classes and communication building skills with our students. And one of the positive impacts that we’ve seen with our students is that it provides the opportunity to practice Spanish since we are a bilingual charter school, but it also provides students that safe sense of speaking in their native language, and creativity and confidence with our students as they are able to talk about their art but also express themselves creatively through their art.”
Instructor at El Sol Academy
“Habla Arte helped them improve their confidence. At the beginning of the school year they were more shy and scared to show their different artworks, seeing how their art looks different from the student next to them. Now, they are able to see that everyone draws differently and everyone has different expressions.”
“The students see that you guys are young. They see you as older siblings, and they’ve become more open and expressive.”
Academic Program Specialist
“Habla Arte is a great program to offer to our students because it breaks up their day, they’re here until 6 pm, and to get more Spanish enrichment in a content that they don’t always have like art is very beneficial.Having this opportunity is a treat for our school and students. The fact that they are using their Spanish in class is an added bonus.”
Parent
“Sebastian when he was in Habla Arte would always come home excited with the art that he created. Now he manages his coloring and scissor skills better. It was a great experience for him.”
Student
“Me gusta colorear y me gusta dibujarlo los dibujos.”
Student
“I like Habla Arte because I get to show my mom and dad the drawings that I did and I try my best with them and I like to color at Habla Arte.”
Student
“I like how I draw in Habla Arte and when I go home I can show off my drawings on the refrigerator. It makes me feel good.”
Student
“I like seeing how my friends color and it is so beautiful and I’ve never seen that before. It makes me feel happy and excited at Habla Arte…I am filled with emotion”
Student
“I like Habla Arte because I like all the colors and I like all my drawings and it makes me really really happy. And it makes my heart grow. Habla Arte helps me feel like a real grownup. And everything is great about Habla Arte.”
March 26, 2024
We address the Santa Ana Board of Education, advocating for bilingual education, promoting our Habla Arte curriculum, and giving back to our Santa Ana community by offering our free enriching program.
April 22, 2024
In this meeting, we spoke before the Santa Ana Board of Education, presenting our own research from our program, and demonstrating the scientific effects of bilingual education. We advocated for greater bilingual curricula and options in the Santa Ana school district, catering to a demographic that requires greater support.
May 19, 2024
Habla Arte was selected for national recognition by the Bill of Rights Institute for advancing constitutional values and student-led civic action in the community, earning a $1,500 grant to continue our mission.
June 3, 2024
Habla Arte was chosen for national recognitions by the Ben Carson Scholars Program for academic excellence and community service, honoring Habla Arte for its key role in the education community.
March 28, 2025
This honor was awarded to our founder, Sailee Charlu, nominated for advancing the Habla Arte and The Lit League mission, honoring exceptional women who have created meaningful impact in the 46th Congressional district.
November 20, 2025
We discussed the importance of bilingual education as a platform for creative and artistic expression in providing educational equity in the arts, especially in communities with a greater percentage of English Language Learners. Mayor Amezcua supported our Bilingual Initiative in the Arts with a letter of endorsement and advice on how to further our programming in the community.
Before completing our curriculum…
Of the students felt that Spanish was not accepted in the classroom and they should only speak English
Lacked confidence in expressing themselves through art and public speaking
After completing the curriculum…
Reported greater comfort learning in a bilingual environment
Presented original artwork orally
Felt more confidence expressing themselves
Of teachers observed improved academic engagement
Bilingual education exists because students demanded it. The 1968 East Los Angeles Walkouts revealed how language suppression and unequal schooling shaped generations of Mexican American students. Habla Arte’s documentary and podcast place our program within this history, using storytelling to connect past student activism to present-day education equity efforts.
Empowered to Act: How the 1968 East LA Blowouts Changed the Fight for Equality in Schools
From Hallways to History: The 1968 East LA Walkouts and the Fight for Chicano Educational Rights
Olivia le is a talented youth spoken poet. As a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she has won state and national poetry competitions and was a finalist for the California Youth Poet Laureate. Her work has been published internationally and she is a 2-year Get Lit Player with Get Lit-Words Ignite. She used spoken word to share about her experiences and raise awareness on social issues.
Dharma Lemon is a writer, teaching artist, and activist from Los Angeles County. She is involved with an organization called Get Lit – Words Ignite. Her work focuses on topics like feminism, body positivity, the environment, and racial injustice. She is known for her passionate writing and activism, having performed alongside celebrity activists and participated in various events, including “Artists for Amazonia”.
Marcus Omari is a critically acclaimed poet, writer, performer, and instructor who teaches poetry programs across Orange County. He’s known for his spoken word performances and has authored several chapbooks. He’s a six-time National Speech and Debate Award winner and has been featured on TV shows like VERSES & FLOW on TV One. He’s also the founder of the Poetic Reform Party.
