Neyda Albarran brings the world to Delaware
Once a month, kids gather at My Sister’s Fault in Milford to take a trip to a faraway land.
One month it was Israel, the next India, and then after that Brazil. The kids are whisked away to these places on the back of the nonstop energy of Neyda Albarrán. It takes a lot to hold the attention of a room full of 10-year-olds and Albarrán is up to the task as she sings and teaches phrases in the language of the country the club is visiting, passes around an inflatable globe for kids to find the country on the map and shows videos about the country. The kids then usually do two art projects, typically involving the flag of the country visited. In between it all, Albarrán is constantly moving, talking and leading.
A native of Illinois who was raised in Puerto Rico, Albarrán, 52, has been doing The Culture Club in one form or another for many years, starting in Puerto Rico. She said she started it there because she wanted to provide an opportunity for kids on the island to experience different cultures, especially in countries where the economics would not allow them to travel abroad.
Albarrán was uniquely suited to the task: she has been involved in the ministry since she was 20, and in that experience, she was able to travel to places throughout the world doing humanitarian and missionary work on behalf of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. She also has worked as a teacher, with a bachelor’s in pastoral studies and a master’s in education.
When it comes to holding kids' attention during meetings of The Culture Club, Albarrán said, “Being a pastor helps. I’ve always been involved in the arts and the theater. I try to mix learning and fun. I want young people to be sensible and aware and create a culture of peace through learning.”
Milford is technically the third stop Albarrán has made with The Culture Club: after starting the club in Puerto Rico, when she was assigned to a church in Orlando, Fla., and she brought the club with her. In late 2022, she was brought to Avenue United Methodist Church in Milford as the church’s pastor of discipleship and started the club again in February. Naturally, the first place the club explored was Puerto Rico.
Albarrán holds the club both in person at My Sister’s Fault and online. The club is aimed at kids 5 to 11 years old. Each kid is given a passport that gets a sticker at the end of each session. The club meets once a month, usually on the third Saturday. In addition, her son, Ian Ortiz, 12, is on hand to serve as Albarrán’s assistant, helping to set up stations and take pictures for the club’s social media accounts.
For the India club meeting, the kids learned the Hindi greeting “namaste,” and at the end, got a little bit messy covering themselves in colors to simulate the Indian Hindu festival of Holi, the Festival of Colors, Love and Spring. The Brazil meeting in May had the kids learn a song in Portugeuse.
While Albarrán herself has traveled to numerous countries – Italy, Israel, Spain – she said she really wants to see Australia and Southeast Asia and is very much planning on doing upcoming Culture Club sessions to explore those two places.
“I want to open their eyes to the beauty of other cultures,” Albarrán said. “I do it because I love it. It’s truly a labor of love.”
For more information on The Culture Club, go to facebook.com/thecultureclubpr.
