OYC Board of Directors is made of a mix of people because the Mission of OYC is very hard to understand with or not any education because the acceptances of the indigenous, ideology, history and the oppression of the Native Cultures of the Ancient American Continent are in the the forbidden side or the New Globalization Era were we live .

OYC (OLLIN YOLIZTLI CALMECAC)
Board of Directors 2008- 2009

Treasurer
Rosa M. Rosas Gil,

Board Members
Brian Anderson, Brad Baldia, Melissa Shapiro.

New Board Members:

Linda Fernandez

A Philadelphia artist and educator working for several non profit organizations to service communities with outreach art programs. In her studio she works primarily with painting, paper mache', sewing, silkscreen, and ceramics. Her art comes from spur of the moment thought, rarely anything is planned, its very sporadic and free. She has worked on several murals throughout Philadelphia with the Mural Arts Program where she is an assistant muralist and art Instructor. In addition to that she teaches ceramics with the Philadelphia Claymobile as well as basic drawing at Temple University's Center City campus. She is also the art director for a monthly event called Hip Hop Lives, which celebrates its ten year anniversary this summer.

OYC (OLLIN YOLIZTLI CALMECAC)
Board of Directors 2005 - 2007

President:

Daniel Chico Lorenzo: A native of San Mateo Ozolco, Puebla, Mexico. Daniel grew up learning his “maternal” ancient language of Nahuatl, as well as a Little of the Spanish that is now most predominant in Mexico. In 1985, Daniel moved from Puebla to Mexico City, where he became aware of the fact that his home town is known as a cultural center that appears in books of Mexican history. This new discovery about his roots prompted Daniel to take a course on ancient Mexican hieroglyphics at the Simon Bolivar cultural center. Daniel also took more courses on Nauhatl in the Casa Tlaxcala, a cultural center that is located in the center of Mexico City. Daniel was invited by a friend he make in the Casa Tlaxcala to learn Aztec Dance. Daniel then spent 8 years learning the dance. Daniel continued his studies over the years before his move to Philadelphia 3 years ago. Now Daniel is the heart of the dance group he has been working to Preserve a culture that is part of him self

Treasurer

Rosa M. Rosas Gil, was born in Mexico, City on February 16, 1948. I attended elementary, secondary and business school in Mexico. When I still was in school, I started working for the Banco del Ejercito y la Armada (Army and Navy Bank) as a secretary. I was there for nine years. I then worked for La Salle University for ten years as the assistant to the director. In December 1976, I married to Frank La Penta and became Rosa La Penta, moved to Philadelphia, PA, the place where my husband was born. We have two children, Rocky 28 and Rose Marie 26. At the beginning I was very Depressed with the change because I left my family, my friends and my life in Mexico, it was very difficult for me. My communication skills were deficient, so I hardly spoke with anybody. At that time was almost no one to spoke Spanish in South Philly. I couldn’t find Spanish food in the supermarkets; there were no radio or TV stations in Spanish. Well, it was very difficult!! Then the time went by and I started attending school. I took the GED course at South Philadelphia High School, and I tried to take English at all the places I could. Later, I went to the Business School were I completed the 18 months course successfully. I worked for La Actualidad Newspaper for 3 years, then I took the exams for the City and I have worked for the Department of Recreation as Bilingual Secretary since May 1994. I work at Mann Older Adult Center. Dealing with seniors every day makes me feel younger. The population in this center is mostly Puerto Rican and I try to show them my Mexican traditions. Sometimes I cook for them some Mexican specialty. I also taught them how to make Piñatas and about two years ago. I have also organized here at the Center a Mexican Exhibition, for which I gathered arts and crafts from different sources and I cooked some Mexican food with the help of another Mexican lady. My activity was a complete success. My hobby is exercise at least four or five times a week. I take aerobics, spinning, rebounding, and yoga. Therefore, I also give stretching exercises to the seniors.

Board Members

Brad Baldia:

Brad Baldia received his BA in English and Biology from Bucknell University and a Masters in Public Health from Temple University. In 1995, Brad served as a White House Intern in the Office of Presidential Personnel. He currently works as the Director of Development & Outreach for United Communities Southeast Philadelphia. In addition, he works extensively with Asian community organizations on a local and national level, such as the Pan Asian Association of Greater Philadelphia and the National Association of Asian American Professionals. Brad has received numerous awards for his efforts, including the "Unsung Heroes Award" by Keystone Mercy Health Plan and "National Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award" by the National Conference for Community and Justice. In 2002, he was recognized as one of the "Top 30 Most Influential Asians in America Under the Age of 30". Extensive experience in working with ethnic and mainstream media, politicians, Cultural performers, corporations, nonprofits, as well as ethnic and mainstream community leaders. Panelist and speaker at local and national APA-related conferences and events. (East Coast Asian Students Union Conference – Harvard University and Duke University; National Asian Students Conference – University of Pennsylvania; Asian American Journalists Association, panel discussion on “Covering the Diversity of Asian America” – Philadelphia, PA; American Public Health Association, National Conference – Washington, DC)

Brian Anderson:

Brian is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in biochemistry. Brian is a native of Illinois, but lived for several years in Switzerland where he personally experienced the problems associated with language barriers. He spoke no German upon arriving in the country, but eventually attended a school where all instruction was in German. He speaks Spanish fluently, which he learned mostly in high school and from the Mexican-Americans with whom he has worked. He spent two summers volunteering as a camp counselor for Nuestro Center, a county-sponsored summer camp for the children of Hispanic immigrants in Highwood, IL. He also studies Portuguese. He is currently conducting independent research on nature-based religions in the US under the auspices of a grant from the Program for Research in Religion and Urban Civil Society. He is also writing an ethnography on Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac as part of his university coursework. He met the members of Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac in June 2005 and has since then followed their progress as a group out of personal a interest in indigenous knowledge and learning about Latin American culture. Brian is of European descent, and his interest in indigenous issues stems from his desire to study and preserve indigenous knowledge of medicine and healing. He has spent the past semester promoting OYC on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus, distributing information about their events to other students and arranging for the group to perform on campus.

Melissa Shapiro:
Development Associate

Melissa joined Taller Puertorriqueño in 2005 as a Development Associate. Before Working at Taller, she was the coordinator and grant writer for an after-school arts literacy program at Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter High School in North Philadelphia for Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas. Melissa has worked with inner city children for over 10 years as a teacher and mentor. She has an AB in Political Science from Cornell University, and recently represented Taller Puertorriqueño and Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas at a Caribbean Folk Arts conference on the island of Antigua and Barbuda. In the fall of 2006, she is planning to travel to Trinidad and Tobago for another Caribbean Folk Arts conference at which the preservation of Caribbean folklore will be addressed.

Meredith Rapkin:

Meredith Rapkin is a public interest immigration attorney presently working at HIAS and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia. She graduated from Temple University's School of Law in 2004, and began a public interest law fellowship funded by the Independence Foundation of Philadelphia. Her work in immigration defense focuses on Spanish Speaking communities, with an expertise on providing immigration legal services to immigrant women experiencing domestic violence, immigrant victims/witnesses of violent crimes, and unaccompanied immigrant children and teens. Meredith also holds both a BA and an MA in Middle East Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Meredith comes form a Blended European background, with parents from two distinct religious backgrounds. Her father is Jewish and her mother Protestant. Meredith learned Spanish when, at 15 years old, she went to live in Costa Rica as an exchange student. During this time she went to a public school in Alajuela, Costa Rica, where she learned to speak Spanish, dance salsa make tortillas. Meredith has also studied Arabic extensively. Meredith has spent a great deal of time with OYC since the fall of 2004. She Has assisted the group with grant applications, translations, transportation, organization and many other tasks. Meredith has a great interest in immigrant communities and supports OYC as an important bridge between the Mexican Immigrant Community and the larger Philadelphia community.

Coordinator and Representative:

Brujo de la Mancha:

Brujo was born in Mexico City, but his Grandmother was a native of the small town of Xico, in the mountains of the state of Veracruz. Every year Brujo would travel to Xico for family visits, including trips to the surrounding area. In Xico, Brujo learned about the activities and the lives of the indigenous people. Brujo observed the style of farming, as well as the arts, music, and the culture of the area. This is an area made up of a mixture of influences from the Olmec, Maya, and Catholic traditions. At sixteen years old, Brujo left Mexico City to travel to different places in order to immerse himself in the indigenous cultures of the people of Oxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Michoacan, and Tlaxcala. As well as a dancer, Brujo is a visual artist working In painting, sculpting, photography, puppetry and music. Brujo also teaches art classes to children in after school programs, as well water colors for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and clay to older adults. Brujo met Daniel at the Immigrant Worker’s Freedom Ride in September, 2003. Since then, Brujo and Daniel have been talking regularly and sharing ideas for the dance and the Mexican community. Brujo has made all the instruments for the dance group. He has also done a large portion of the choreography with Daniel. Brujo has additionally been responsible for organizing the group for their performances, as he is one of the group members who is comfortable using his English language skills.