Making Hope Together: Our WIS Community Ofrenda

By Kristen Kullberg, Tregaron Making and Design Initiatives Coordinator

What can we create together that reminds us of the hope, love, and possibility we carry forward?

This year, the WIS community came together to create a collaborative ofrenda in celebration of Día de los Muertos. Spanish classes across grades 6–12 visited the Alan Reese Design Lab to make flower crowns, while other students crafted velas (candles), each contributing to a shared space shaped by creativity, care, and connection.

Inspired by the vibrant marigolds that guide loved ones home, our community ofrenda became more than a place of remembrance. It became an expression of hope: a reminder that love continues, that stories connect us across generations, and that even small acts of making can help us imagine a more connected world. Each handmade contribution added to something larger than itself, showing what becomes possible when we create together.

Through this shared tradition, we made space not only to honor those who came before us, but also to celebrate what we carry forward: hope, belonging, and the possibility of a brighter tomorrow.