Director of the South Carolina Centro Latino (El Centro):
Araceli Hernández-Laroche, Ph.D.

Asst. Director of the South Carolina Centro Latino:
Maria Francisco-Montesó, M.A.

The South Carolina Centro Latino (El Centro) bridges cultures statewide through linguistic awareness and accessibility. Our three pillars create institutional space for belonging, civility, wellness and equity: Latinx Interdisciplinary Studies, the Public Humanities, and Translation and Community Interpreting. For more information about El Centro, please email sccl@uscupstate.edu.

El Centro carries out its mission through a variety of initiatives that include:

Pillar I - Latinx Interdisciplinary Studies & Civic Leadership

• Organizing Latina/o Interdisciplinary Studies Talks on Civic Leadership and Mentoring
• Hosting a “Latinas in Higher Ed Summit” and offering a "Latina Voices & Leadership" course, along with other Latino Studies courses through Spanish & Global Studies
• Expanding course offerings for the Global Studies Minor and Certificate
• Building on the legacy of the Unidos US Líderes Avanzando Through College Program
• Establishing El Centro Living Learning Community in partnership with Housing & Residential Life

Pillar II - Public Humanities

• Offering the El Centro Public Scholars program to students in all majors, with the possibility to publish through El Centro Scholars Commons, gain intership experience, workforce development, and more
• Hosting research forums on local and global impacts of migration
• Increasing interdisciplinary and multilingual public humanities scholarship
• Sponsoring podcasts, interactive lectures and other public-facing work in other languages
• Providing services to parents in English, Spanish and other languages

Pillar III - Translation & Community Interpreting

• Expanding the Alicante Study Abroad Program
• Engaging in Service Learning through the Translation and Community Interpreting Studies Minor
• Training state professionals for Translation and Interpreting in School Settings
• Offering Translation and Interpreting courses for school districts in South Carolina
• Developing Translation and Interpreting certificate courses for law enforcement
• Hosting an annual international Translation and Interpreting Conference
• Supporting Scholarship in Translation and Community Interpreting Studies

Spanish Translation/Interpreting Minor

Students pursuing the minor in Spanish Translation and Community Interpreting learn theories of translation and interpreting, study ethical guidelines for working as a translator or interpreter and apply their skills in service learning projects for area non-profit organizations. More than forty nonprofits locally and around the state have partnered in service learning and internship opportunities to outreach the growing Spanish-speaking community in South Carolina, the Southeast and beyond. Students gain valuable interdisciplinary experience, career-readiness skills and academic and industry mentors while working with certified translators and interpreters. Students majoring in other disciplines (such as business, healthcare, legal professions, or education and more) can prepare to be a bridge for communication in multilingual communities near and far.

Spanish Translation/Interpreting Minor

Certificate Programs:

Interpreting in Educational Settings

Certificate Course for bilingual professionals (offered every summer) “Interpreting in Educational Settings.” For more information, please visit https://uscupstate.edu/academics/continuing-education-and-industry-certifications/professional-certificates/professional-spanish/ .

USC Upstate Translation & Interpreting

This program is based on the Minor in Spanish Translation & Interpreting offered at USC Upstate. Earn 5.0 CEU per course. The 50-hour Continuing Education program (for each course) in Spanish translation and community interpreting is designed for bilingual community members who wish to develop professional translation & interpreting skills to apply in numerous settings. The program aims to help providers meet the demand for professional Spanish translators and interpreters to serve the growing communities of Spanish-speaking clients, patients, parents, families, and students in the US and South Carolina. For more information, please visit https://secure.touchnet.net/C21544_ustores/web/store_cat.jsp?STOREID=85&CATID=456.

Spain Study Abroad Program

Spain Study Abroad with Maria Francisco Montesó. For more information, please visit https://uscupstate.edu/academics/study-abroad/faculty-led-study-abroad/alicante/.

Annual Conference in Translation & Community Interpreting

Annual International Translation & Interpreting Conference: Bridging Cultures through Communication (takes place during the month of March, in celebration of Upstate International Month).  For more information, please visit https://uscupstate.edu/academics/academic-centers-and-services/south-carolina-centro-latino/.