Mayda Hidalgo, Springdale High BNSI Coordinator
Mayda Hidalgo is the first BNSI Coordinator.  She was selected in November 2005 to launch the Bilingual Nursing Scholars Initiative. She was selected because of her medical and educational experience. Her role is to work with the students, teachers, counselors and parents at the four pilot schools - Springdale High, Southwest Junior, Kelley Middle and Bayyari Elementary.

Mayda is a 2003 Cuban émigré. After 23 years of medical practice she moved with her two daughters to Northwest Arkansas. She is a LPN working with home healthcare.  Mayda is studying for her medical boards.

As the Project Coordinator for the Bilingual Nursing Scholars Initiative Mayda first “shadowed” the educators in the four project schools to familiarize herself with school district facilities, practices and personnel. Dr. Hidalgo spends six days each month visiting the pilot schools, working with students, counselors, teachers and administrators to build an awareness of nursing as a career for all students, but with special attention to bilingual, first generation student. She is a resource to the Springdale schools currently mentoring over 100 students who have an interest or affinity for nursing or healthcare.

She can be reached via e-mail at maydagh@hotmail.com, or by phone at (479) 313-0916.

Shay Lastra, Har-Ber High BNSI Coordinator
Shay Lastra has spent over twenty years in the teaching profession in Spanish and English instruction, which includes several years as an EFL Coordinator and EFL high school instructor for Springdale Schools. She has experienced first hand the growth of EFL students and families within in the Springdale schools and is familiar with their cultural expectations and needs.

In response to the educational needs of a growing EFL population in the surrounding rural community, in 1996 Ms. Lastra provided regional consultation and training to schools throughout the Northwest Arkansas area through instructor workshops and in-services, funded by the State Department of Education, Equity Division.

In 2001, Ms. Lastra co-developed modules for and trained participants in the “Nuestra Familia” Project, through the UAMS Partner for Inclusive Communities. Curriculum for this project centered around training early child care providers working with Latin American families to better understand the cultural and linguistic process for young children in second language acquisition.

Ms. Lastra presently maintains a language and cultural diversity training business, under NLS Publishing, Inc., developing and coordinating Spanish and EFL classes to local business and industry. She is also responsible for brokering a Spanish-English translation service to local business, industry and educational institutions, working along side a professional translation staff based out of Mexico City.

She can be reached via email at nsiteservices@aol.com or by phone at (479) 466-5000.

Ivonne Garrison, Siloam Springs BNSI Coordinator
She can be reached via email at igarrisonbnsi@gmail.com or by phone at (479) 220-8338.