¡Ubicate!^TM was created because Casa de Esperanza staff could not locate Spanish-language tools to facilitate youth discussion on the important issues of healthy relationships, violence in dating, communication, and gender roles.

The project began in 2002 and was completed during the summer of 2003.

Latino teens worked with Casa de Esperanza's Education Manager and Youth Initiatives Specialist on every aspect of the film. They informed the concept, writing, and development. Young Latinos also wrote some of the original music score and designed the artwork. The youth council included students from our after-school groups at Abraham Lincoln High School and Paul and Sheila Wellstone Elementary School as well as volunteers from El Colegio Charter High School and the community. The associate producer, a high school senior, provided invaluable input and consistent dedication to the project.

Filming spanned three months in spring 2003 and took the team to seven locations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Plymouth, Minnesota. The cast included professional and nonprofessional actors from many Latin American backgrounds in order to depict the diversity within Latino cultures--Puerto Rico, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Venezuela, and El Salvador.

Principle actors: Alejandro Aguilera , Juliana Cadavid, Hector Diaz , Carlos Fernandez, Raul Gracia, Ana Linares, Pablo Lopez, Gabriela Monsalve, Monica Rodriguez, Andrea Santos, and Yasmin Tovar.

Executive Producer: Patricia Tototzintle
Producers: Carmen González and Claudia Pineda
Director: Rich Reeder, Lockhaven Communications
Associate Producer: Pablo López
Script Writers: Carmen González, Pablo López and Claudia Pineda

Original Artwork: Puzzle piece artwork concept and design by Jessica Guzmán.