Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs Sept. 15-Oct. 15., is a time to recognize the contributions made by people of Hispanic and Latin American descent and to celebrate their heritage and culture.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15 for a reason – it’s the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The month also encompasses the independence days for Mexico (Sept. 16) and Chile (Sept. 18), as well as Columbus Day (Sept. 12).

Hispanic Heritage Month started as a week in 1968, but President Ronald Reagan extended it to a month in 1988.

SCHOOLS: We would love to share photos of how you’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Please email them to hisdphotos@yahoo.com and be sure to include your school’s name in the email. We’ll add a slideshow to this post once we receive a few submissions.