As the United States economy becomes increasingly globalized, learning about international business is crucial for any student who wants to go into business. Luckily for Edina High School students interested in business, Mr. Diaz and Mr. Gallagher are offering a new class for next year that puts a spotlight on Latin American business and culture.

“[The class] is about Spanish speaking countries, the connection between the Latin American economy and the US economy, and the trade between them,” Mr. Diaz said. The class, which will be conducted in English, will be co-taught by Spanish teacher Mr. Diaz and DECA teacher Mr. Gallagher.

This class has been in the works for several years, and started when Mr. Diaz and Mr. Gallagher went on a trip to Spain. “When we used to travel to Spain [for Spanish] with Mr. Gallagher, he usually brought kids from the DECA class. He used to have his own mini-unit for those kids to learn about the big companies from Spain,” Mr. Diaz said.

Mr. Diaz and Mr. Gallagher have finalized the class devoted to Latin American business and culture. “We’ve been talking about this for a long time, and we’ve finally decided to offer it. We’re both very excited about it,” Mr. Diaz said.

The purpose of the class is to help students make connections between their everyday lives and Spanish owned businesses. “[This class is meant] to see how we can see the presence of Spanish companies in the US. For example, most of the windmills in Southern Minnesota are owned by Spanish companies, but most people don’t know about that.” Mr. Diaz said.

This class is also meant to give students exposure to international business before they study business in college. “Spanish and Business are two majors that many Edina High School students will eventually pursue. Why not explore it now,” Mr. Gallagher said.

The class will be one semester long and will be offered as an elective. Although there is no prerequisite or language requirement, an interest in Spanish language and culture is a must.