Latino Families Lead the Way in STEM Learning at Home con Dulce Sazón—with Help from Their Pequeños Metiches

Last Wednesday, a group of Nevada parents ed a Zoom parent workshop not realizing they'd come away seeing their children differently— as little scientists. The instructor, a fellow parent, shared a scene from Univision's Emmy-winning telenovela La Fuerza de Creer: Dulce Sazón, to spark a science conversation and science education at home with a Latino flavor.

In the scene, a little girl is fixed on her attempts to stack onion bulbs. She’s frustrated because they roll around. Her grandfather playfully reminds her they need to be sliced. She insists on helping with the knife, prompting her mom—frustrated by her daughter's persistence—to intervene, calling her a pequeña metiche. The girl looks up and innocently asks, “Mami, ¿por qué la cebolla me hace llorar?” The random questions and disruptions, both sincere and familiar, sparks laughter from workshop participants.

They instantly recognize their own lives in the scene, reflecting on how exhausting yet precious these messy, curious interruptions can be. They begin to talk and share about the science hidden in their family recipes—how boiling, mixing, smelling, measuring, and even slicing onions can spark rich conversations: about an abuela who grew her own vegetables, about chemistry and biology, about cause and effect, encouraging their children to try new foods, and the unforgettable smells of home in the old country.

These everyday traditions become a bridge between generations and a launchpad for scientific thinking. After the session, a WhatsApp message invites them to share how it’s going at home in the group chat. Their posts are rewarded with emojis and encouraging messages about how well they do science at home.

The workshops are part of the La Fuerza–STEM Public Service Initiative, which received the 2025 Children & Family Emmy® for Outstanding Public Service Initiative for its innovative combination of parent workshops and the Univision telenovela La Fuerza de Creer: Dulce Sazón, now streaming for free on VIX. Families can access these research-based workshops through Literacy Partners and its community program, La Fuerza de Familias Latinas.

This groundbreaking initiative celebrates how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning fits into Latino homes by celebrating our culture, language, and everyday experiences. Backed by the National Science Foundation and developed in partnership with Univision, the Education Development Center (EDC), and Literacy Partners, the workshops align with national science standards for children ages 3–8 and leading frameworks for family engagement. They were co-created with families across 33 states and Puerto Rico through focus groups, evaluation , and participation over 3 years.

So, what's the secret behind these transformative workshops?

• Our Stories Matter: The workshops center Latino cultural heritage and daily routines. Clips from Dulce Sazón model how science naturally fits into our lives— experimenting with sofritos, or simply noticing scents in the garden, telling stories from the stars, and helping put air in a tire.
• Our Voices Are Heard: Parents reflect on their own assumptions—hesitations about kids asking uncomfortable precocious questions, messy play or discomfort with letting daughters explore traditionally male spaces. These reflections create space to reframe everyday parenting as part of science learning.
• Our Actions Inspire: At the end of each session, parents are encouraged to try new activities at home and share them through a WhatsApp group, building a ive learning network that extends beyond the workshop and gaining access to learning resources in Spanish.

And the results? They're exciting! After participating, 86% of parents tried new STEM strategies at home, and 60% reported increased confidence as their children’s educators. While evaluation is ongoing, families continue to share stories of exploring, playing, reading, and discovering science together.

" You don't need anything too elaborate to do science at home—I can explore and share more special moments with my son and motivate him to be led by his own curiosity," says Ana Gabriela Velasco from Nevada.

Families are proudly declaring, "Somos Latinos y Hacemos Ciencias."

This Emmy recognition celebrates more than television excellence—it honors the everyday science already thriving in Latino homes and how, when learning feels familiar—feels like family—it becomes transformational. Latinos have always been scientists—in kitchens, fields, and offices, practicing informal science every day. La Fuerza–STEM offers the language, resources, and community to build on these natural strengths. It’s a call to action for all caregivers to step into their power, recognize our curious pequeños metiches as future STEM leaders, and nurture their creative wonder, curiosity and perseverance.

Let’s keep this momentum going. Visit www.lafuerzadefamilias.org today to over 4,000 parents in transforming your family’s everyday curiosity into a lasting legacy of science.

El proyecto La Fuerza STEM es financiado por la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias bajo la concesión #2115621. Cualquier opinión, hallazgos, y conclusiones o recomendaciones expresadas en este material son de sus autores y no necesariamente refleja los puntos de vista de la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias.