DENTON (UNT), Texas — An interdisciplinary initiative from the University of North Texas (UNT) is garnering accolades across the state for its innovative approach to helping K-12 students. The ‘Juntxs,’ or ‘Together,’ project, also known as the Bilingual Homework Hotline, has been honored with the 2024 Nueva Direcciones Award from the Association of Latina/o and Latinx Anthropologists and the 2024 Robert A. and Beverly Hackenberg Prize from the Society for Applied Anthropology (SAA). Since its inception in 2020, the hotline has been assisting K-12 students in the Denton Independent School District (DISD) and beyond.
The project was initiated by faculty from the UNT Departments of Anthropology and Teacher Education and Administration alongside Texas Woman’s University (TWU). It was designed as a response to the educational challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mariela Nuñez-Janes, a UNT professor of applied anthropology and the project’s lead, explained that the concept originated from dialogues with the DISD’s bilingual education program.
‘Everything pointed to the creation of a hotline,’ Nuñez-Janes said. ‘At the time, it was especially urgent because the district had lost touch with many students and their parents.’
Running from Monday through Thursday, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., the hotline is hosted on Zoom, providing a platform where students can call in and share details such as their grade, language preference, and what assistance they need. They are then connected to two university student volunteers known as ‘helpers,’ who assist with academic tasks, provide reading support, or engage in meaningful conversations. Although many of the callers are dual-language speakers, the service is open to any K-12 student.
Volunteers, primarily recruited from UNT’s anthropology, education, and Spanish departments, gain hands-on experience in teaching, research, and practicing foreign languages. ‘The hotline allows our student volunteers to see the direct meaning and application of the academic work they do,’ said Nuñez-Janes.
Zachary Prater, a second-year master’s student in applied anthropology at UNT, has been volunteering since Fall 2024. Not only is he presenting at conferences but he is also conducting ethnographic research based on data collected from the hotline’s environment. ‘With applied anthropology, you can use your skills to study almost anything people do or create,’ Prater said. ‘The Bilingual Homework Hotline has taught me so much.’
Initially set up as a response to pandemic challenges, the hotline’s reach has grown from answering 1,000 calls per semester to nearly 2,000. This success has encouraged other districts, such as those in San Antonio, to consider similar models.
Jenn Castillo, a doctoral candidate, leads the coordination efforts for the hotline, organizing volunteer shifts and hosting orientation sessions. Additionally, she manages a book club that supports language learning skills and meets Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.
‘DISD employees report that the hotline notably enhances students’ academic performance and self-confidence,’ added Martha Mendoza, the hotline’s operator and parent liaison for DISD’s bilingual/ESL department. She notes the increasing aspiration among students to pursue higher education, attributing this in part to the hotline’s influence.
Rebeca Olvera-Alfaro, a DISD facilitator for dual-language/ESL programs, highlights the long-lasting impact Juntxs has on students’ lives. ‘One of our students wrote their college application essay about how the Bilingual Homework Hotline inspired them. I think about that all the time, how powerful that was,’ she said. ‘That’s our motivation.’