SAN ANTONIO – A secular, inclusive homeschool community in San Antonio known as “For the Culture” is offering a unique perspective on education by celebrating the rich traditions of Dia de los Muertos. This celebration is part of the group’s ongoing commitment to diversity, culture, and active social engagement.
Founder Ashley Presly shared the community’s approach to learning through cultural immersion.
“Our kids are definitely changing the narrative of what homeschooling looks like. They have social opportunities at least three to four times a week,” Presly said.
In addition to regular social gatherings, the group collaborates on community projects. This fall, one project is centered around “Muertos Fest,” which introduces children to the indigenous roots of the Day of the Dead.
The community has integrated Dia de los Muertos traditions, like building an altar, into its activities.
Presly described how her family builds an altar at home, featuring loved ones from both sides of her family.
“We create an altar and we have all of our loved ones from both sides of our family,” she said.
One of the younger community members, Cari, added that she would add a photo of her great-grandmother to their altar.
For community member Lorena, Dia de los Muertos is an opportunity to honor memories.
“It’s a great holiday for people to remember their ancestors that have passed away,” she explained, adding that the tradition allows families to cherish memories of past loved ones.
Presly also emphasized a different view on death through the celebration.
“A lot of times we connect death with mourning, and so we’re there having to look at it differently and celebrate the life,” she said.
Presly noted that cultural traditions allow children to connect personally to their ancestry, going beyond popular portrayals of the holiday in films.
The community’s activities also include a hands-on art project, with children creating shadow boxes featuring photos of loved ones.
The project’s engineering component has sparked interest, with one student commenting on the challenge, saying, “It’s going to involve a lot of engineering and physics.”
Others are crafting clay food items to place on the boxes, which will honor their families’ memories and traditions.
Presly shared that older students wanted to honor victims of social injustices as part of their Dia de los Muertos altars.
“In our culture, you will see Black Lives Matter, Brown Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter,” Presly said, adding that some children are also dedicating boxes to lives lost in school shootings, an effort led by the students themselves.
Through these activities, For the Culture continues to redefine what homeschooling can look like, blending education with cultural awareness and social justice.