Meeting: November 18, 2025
16 ITEM BY COUNCILMEMBERS DAN HALL AND NATALYA ZERNITSKAYA Request of Councilmembers Hall and Zernitskaya that Council approve use of up to $6,000 of Council discretionary funds to support Samohi’s Legado Latino club in offsetting expenses incurred during the community’s observation of Día de los Muertos at the Santa Monica History Museum.
In past years, Council has periodically allocated funding from its discretionary budget to support youth-led cultural and educational programming in our community.
Building on that tradition, we are requesting a total allocation of up to $6,000 to support Santa Monica High School’s Legado Latino club and their annual installation of an ofrenda at the Santa Monica History Museum’s Día de los Muertos observance. This student-led effort honors Mexican culture and aims to celebrate the community’s cultural roots and promote understanding through an inclusive and educational experience. This request aligns with Council’s past support for student initiatives that uplift youth voices, expand cultural literacy, and celebrate the diversity that defines Santa Monica.
In order to reinforce the City’s commitment to inclusion, education, and the arts, and ensure that our local students continue to see themselves and their culture reflected in civic life,
WE THEREFORE MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL:
1. Allocate up to $6,000 to defray costs spent by Legado Latino students to install their ofrenda for Día de los Muertos at the Santa Monica History Museum. Costs shall be split evenly across Councilmembers Hall and Zernitskaya’s allocations, up to $3,000 out of each.
2. Direct staff to disburse the funds to the Association of Mexican American Educators, care of Dr. Guadalupe Mireles-Toumayan, which acts as the tax ID entity for Legado Latino.
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